


Assumptions

by nicekittyrawr, StupidLeeches, wolfh00r



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2014-08-28
Packaged: 2018-02-15 03:50:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 24,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2214702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicekittyrawr/pseuds/nicekittyrawr, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StupidLeeches/pseuds/StupidLeeches, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfh00r/pseuds/wolfh00r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>FBI Agent Paul Lahote loves his job, until Cyber-geek Rachel Black becomes his temporary partner and takes over his entire investigation, and his life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Written for the “Passionate About Paul” one-shot contest**

**Pen Name:** StupidLeeches

 **Title:** Assumptions

 **Rating:** M

 **Primary Players:** Paul/Rachel

 **Summary:** FBI Agent Paul Lahote loves his job, until Cyber-geek Rachel Black becomes his temporary partner and takes over his entire investigation, and his life.

 **Word Count:** 12,875

 **Beta'd by:** morethanhuman

**DISCLAIMER:** Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight saga and all its characters. No copyright infringement is intended. No profits have been received in the production of this piece.

**To see other entries in the “Passionate About Paul” contest, please visit**

[ **www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/~passionateaboutpaulcontest** ](http://www.fanfiction.net/~passionateaboutpaulcontest)

 

 

Special Agent Paul Lahote watched as his partner, Special Agent Emmett McCarty, looked over his shoulder one last time. When Paul gave him a slight nod, he slowly opened the door they stood in front of. Emmett’s gun entered first, before he quickly disappeared inside the building. Paul waited while Emmett scanned the area, trying to be patient for the sign. He gave an internal sigh of relief when he heard Emmett tap the door twice to give him the “all clear” signal.

Paul and Emmett had become friends in the FBI Academy and through some miracle had been allowed to become partners after graduation. Now three years into their time in the Criminal Investigative Division, they finally had a lock on bringing in two of the highest ranking members of the Volturi family: Marcus and Caius.

 

Paul took one last look around the area behind the building before slipping into the storage room. Based on their investigation of the Volturi crime family, this storage room was where the counterfeit money was created. This was the Volturi family’s base of operation.

 

“What the fuck is all this?” Paul growled out between clenched teeth as his eyes swept over the room. Instead of printers, ink, and reams of paper, the room was filled with shelves full of food products.

 

Paul’s eyes again moved over every inch of space in the room as Emmett shifted over to the first shelf. “I don’t know, man. Must be the cover, this is a bakery out front. Was there anything in the blueprints about a basement?”

 

Paul shook his head in the negative. He had the blueprints for this building memorized. There was no basement and based on his quick visual measurements, this room matched the size outlined in the blueprints.

 

Just as Paul opened his mouth to speak, there was a soft _whoosh_ sound before he saw his partner fall to the ground. Without thinking, Paul dropped to the ground as well, quickly moving over to his partner’s body. Even though he had a bullet proof vest on, Paul could see the red of Emmett’s blood covering the collar of his shirt. Whoever had shot him knew exactly where to hit to put his life in danger; all the while missing the bullet proof vest that was standard issue for all FBI agents. Paul pressed a button on his phone to call for backup before checking his gun.

 

Another _whoosh_ sounded and a bag of flour exploded where Paul’s head had been just a few seconds prior. Paul could feel his anger boiling; seeing his partner on the floor, his life in danger, pushed him over the edge of the calm he typically maintained.

 

Paul moved swiftly, loading his gun and aiming in the direction he heard the first shot come from. Using the shelves to his advantage he ducked and swerved, the bags and cans his shields. He could hear shots coming from all over the room now, meaning multiple shooters. Making a swift decision, he grabbed his partner’s piece and started shooting in every direction possible.

 

As his ears filled with the sounds of gunfire, Paul’s aim became more exact. Eventually the only sounds were coming from the two guns in his hands. Dropping his body to the floor, he moved across the room, still using the shelves as protection. When he reached the first body, he easily recognized the deadliest members of the family, Felix. Paul’s smile was wide when he realized Felix wasn’t dead, but he wouldn’t be moving any time soon, since both of his knees were sporting open wounds.

 

“Don’t be so cocky, pig, I will have your head for this,” Felix said as his face twisted into an evil smile.

 

Paul lifted his fist and dropped it into Felix’s face. Blood poured out of his nose as Paul moved away. “Not from prison you won’t.”

 

Paul could just hear the sirens approaching as he took one last sweep around the room. Other members of the family were injured, but he didn’t see Marcus, Caius, or the leader of the Volturi family, Aro, anywhere. Paul went back to check on Emmett, encouraged when he saw he was looking around. Paul leaned down, grinning, “Damn pretty boy, you look like a bear tried to take a chunk out of your neck.”

 

Emmett’s eyes went wide, his mouth moving but no words came out. Paul turned his head just as Aro slipped out the back door. Paul jumped up, running after him, but he was already gone. Moments later, the black and whites, plus other FBI agents, arrived to clean up the scene. While the uniforms entered the building, Paul leaned against the back wall, dropping his head in his hands as he whispered, “Fuck me.”

 

-0-

 

The nurse walked into the room Paul was placed in when he and Emmett had been brought to the hospital a few hours ago. He was irritated and exhausted, but he put on his best flirty smile. The nurse was pretty enough, but he was more concerned about finding out where his partner had been taken. Her cheeks turned a deep pink as she handed him his release papers, not quite meeting his eyes. Paul strategically let his hand brush hers as he took the paperwork from her.

 

“Thanks for taking such good care of me. I hope my partner is lucky enough to have a nurse caring for him that is half as talented as you are.”

 

Paul wasn’t as smooth at charming the ladies as his partner, but he still managed to get the information he needed. After taking her phone number, the nurse eagerly gave him the information he was looking for.

 

Once dressed in the clothes he had been admitted in, Paul ran up two flights of stairs then flashed his badge at the staff surrounding the admitting station. He didn’t wait for anyone to say he could pass, just kept walking right past the group like he owned the place. His eyes locked on the room number the nurse had given him and he paused beside the door, checking to make sure no one was lingering in the hallway.

 

As he turned his head to inspect the other side of the short hallway, a distinct female voice came out of the room his partner was in. Deputy Assistant Director Rosalie Hale was in Special Agent Emmett McCarty’s room.

 

Paul wasn’t surprised to find Rosalie visiting Emmett; she was, after all, their boss. However, Paul knew she wasn’t _just_ visiting in an official capacity. Emmett had recently told him, in confidence, that he and Rosalie had been dating for the past year. The only reason Emmett had even mentioned it to Paul was because he was planning to propose to her once they wrapped the Volturi case. Paul had two options once that happened; get transferred with his partner to another division or accept a new partner. He didn’t like either option, but didn’t want to think about that right now.

 

Knocking lightly to announce his arrival, Paul slowly stuck his head in the room, giving the two of them time to separate if needed. He was taken aback when he saw hard-as-nails Rosalie Hale with tear streaks on her cheeks. Though her eyes were dry now, it was obvious that tears had recently fallen.

 

“Hey man!” Emmett croaked out.

 

Rosalie gave first Paul, then Emmett, a dirty look. Turning back to Paul, she straightened her spine and instantly transformed from worried girlfriend to the Deputy Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigative Division of the FBI. Her words were sharp and quick as she spoke, “Special Agent McCarty was instructed to minimize the use of his voice. Please refrain for derailing his progress, Special Agent Warren. Unless, of course, you want him to be out longer than the three weeks his doctor’s are suggesting.”

 

“Shit, three weeks? The Volturi will have moved on in that time.” Paul glanced over at Emmett, an apology on his face. “Not that I blame you, man. Glad to hear it’s only three weeks. You are lucky to be alive.”

 

Emmett smiled, his famous dimples standing out even through the tubes that criss-crossed over his face. Rosalie cleared her throat, grabbing Paul’s attention again.

 

“Special Agent McCarty will be out for the next three weeks at a minimum. However, the FBI values the progress you’ve both made on the Volturi case. In order to continue that work, we will be assigning a temporary partner to you, Agent Warren.”

 

Paul groaned, dreading having to bring a rookie in on this case. What made the partnership between him and Emmett work was the fact that they understood one another. They may not always get along, arguing like brothers, but they _got_ each other and knew the other had their back, no matter what.

 

Grinding his teeth, Paul did his best not to sound like he was begging when he spoke, “May I request to have a seasoned agent instead of a rookie? The special care needed in hunting down the Volturi requires more training than I have to give.”

 

“I agree, Agent Warren.” Rosalie nodded, though Paul caught an odd look flash across her face.

 

Glancing over at Emmett, Paul could still see his dimples, but there was something else there. Like he knew what Rosalie was up to.

 

“We have taken special consideration of where you are in the Volturi case and have assigned Special Agent Black to join you for the next three weeks.”

 

Paul took a step back, stunned by what Rosalie just said. Special Agent Jacob Black was a legend in the FBI. Agent Black had been a part of some of the highest profile cases in the FBI, across multiple divisions of the Bureau. Getting the opportunity to work with him would be a special honor for Paul.

 

“That’s fantastic news. When do we start?” Paul grinned over at Emmett, “Don’t worry man; I’ll give you a blow-by-blow re-cap each day. It will be like you are right there with Agent Black and me.”

 

“Sweet,” Emmett said, silently laughing when Rosalie gave both he and Paul another dirty look.

 

Straightening herself up, Rosalie turned back to Paul. “Meet me in my office at eight tomorrow morning. We will give Agent Black a full debrief on the Volturi case status at that time.”

 

-0-

 

Paul sat across from Rosalie the next morning, waiting patiently for Special Agent Black. Rosalie’s assistant announced Special Agent Black’s arrival and Paul stood, along with Rosalie, facing the door waiting for him to walk in.

 

Instead, a very tall woman, only a few inches shorter than Paul’s six-three frame, walked into the room. Paul assumed that this woman had escorted Special Agent Black to Rosalie’s office. Even though she was striking, Paul looked over her shoulder, his eyes searching for Jacob Black.

 

Then, to Paul’s surprise, she closed the door behind her and stepped into the room. She stretched her hand out to Rosalie, her voice sure, “Deputy Assistant Director Hale, a pleasure to see you, as always.”

 

“Likewise, Special Agent Black.”

 

Paul watched closely as the two women shook hands. When Rosalie returned to behind her desk, Paul followed her movement, still unsure of what was happening here. _Where the hell was Jacob Black? Who the fuck was this woman?_

 

“Special Agent Warren,” Rosalie speaking finally caught his attention, “this is Special Agent Black. Special Agent _Rachel_ Black. After many phone calls and promises that we will give her back when Special Agent McCarty returns, the Deputy Director of the Cyber Division agreed to loan Special Agent Black to CID.”

 

The room went silent. Paul finally turned his head, moving to look at Special Agent Rachel Black. _Well fuck me._

 

Without thinking, Paul crossed his arms over his chest and snarled at Rachel, “So are you Special Agent Jacob Black’s wife?”

 

“Special Agent Warren, you will sit down and shut up if you know what is best for you right now.” Swinging his head back around to look at Rosalie, he found her eyes narrowed into slits, her normal full lips flattened out. _Shit._

 

Paul sat without another word, but he turned away from Rachel, his eyes looking out the window at the dreary day. He kept his arms crossed over his chest as the two women conversed. He didn’t give a shit what they were talking about. He didn’t know this woman and he wasn’t happy about this situation. He still didn’t understand why Rosalie had brought in a Cyber-geek to a CID investigation. This was about counterfeit money, not some web-stalker; or whatever the fuck those geeks worked on.

 

“Special Agent Black, I think it would help if you gave a brief introduction of yourself.” Rosalie’s words were for Rachel, but Paul could feel her staring down at him, clearly not happy about his reaction. _Screw that, she set this up, knew I would assume it was Jacob Black._ Emmett probably knew too. _Fucker._ Paul vowed to kick his ass later when he visited him.

 

“Of course.”

 

For the first time since she walked in the room, Paul turned to look at Rachel. He couldn’t deny that she was gorgeous. She had high cheekbones and lips that looked like they needed to be kissed, often.

 

As she lowered herself into the chair next to him, he couldn’t help but notice her legs. Long, lean and accented by the ridiculously high black pumps she was wearing. Everything else she had on was standard issue for a female agent: tailored skirt and a button down shirt covered by a black, tailored jacket.

 

What was not standard issue was her hair. Most female agents wore their hair pulled back, in a ponytail or tight knot like Rosalie. Not Rachel, her dark hair fell well past her shoulders, though stood out from her blazer by the hint of red that weaved through the black strands.

 

Of course, none of that mattered. All Paul was concerned about was figuring out how he could get rid of her. As she started to speak, Paul was paying special attention to her words, looking for a weakness he could capitalize on.

 

“I’ve been with the Bureau for ten years. I started out here in CID then moved over to Cyber when a position became available. I’ve been working closely with our Deputy Director on how Cyber can better integrate with the other divisions. We have the expertise to hunt down criminal activity on the web, but we can also trace the web activity of criminals.”

 

Paul rolled his eyes as he spoke to Rosalie, “Is she serious? She’s talking in circles.”

 

Rosalie did not respond to Paul, just nodded her head at Rachel to continue. Rachel turned to Paul, one corner of her mouth lifted in a near-smile. “DAD Hale was kind enough to forward over some basic information on the Volturi family to me. Did you know that the muscle of the Volturi, Felix, spends most of his time on dating websites? Also, Aro’s son, Demetri, is branching out from the family business of counterfeit money into his personal obsession: drugs, specifically cocaine.”

 

“So what? I don’t deal with drugs and I can’t bring a guy in for wanting a date on a Saturday night.” Paul shrugged, completely annoyed that Rosalie thought this woman could even begin to replace Emmett.

 

Paul saw Rachel open her mouth to speak, but it was Rosalie’s sharp, no-nonsense voice that he heard instead. “By following the Volturi family members’ web activity, we can track them down. Demetri sets up a buy from his distributor via email, we have the email here with all the information within moments of him sending it. With Special Agent Black’s assistance, we believe we can take the Volturi family down, one member at a time.”

 

“But we get them on drug charges? What the fuck? These thugs have been creating counterfeit money for years now.”

 

This time it was Rachel that spoke. When Paul turned his head out of courtesy, he found her sitting on the edge of her seat, getting closer to him. It was almost like she wanted to go toe-to-toe with him. Paul automatically leaned in closer to her too, irritation at the current situation causing him to snarl as his hands gripped the top of his thighs to prevent him from reaching to throttle her. _Or pull her to him._

 

“You don’t honestly think a thug like Demetri would spend his own money, do you? Why spend real when you can use the counterfeit your Daddy makes? We set him up with the drugs, but we catch him with the fake money. Make sense?”

 

Paul stood up, no longer able to stand looking into her smug face. _Shit._ Her plan was actually a decent one, not that he would ever admit it to either Rosalie or Rachel. Turning back to face the two women, he dropped his fist on Rosalie’s desk a little harder than he intended. He knew he was skating on thin ice with her, especially when he noticed that some of her coffee spilled out because of him.

 

Clearing his throat, he focused on this crazy plan. “Fine, so that brings Demetri in, but what about Felix? The rest of the family? Are we going to send random female agents out on dating websites?”

 

“Not random. I’ve already signed up for the dating site Felix is on and have reached out to him,” Rachel raised her frame from the chair as she spoke.

 

“No fucking way!”

 

Paul was unable to stop himself as he inched closer to Rachel. He wanted to argue with her, tell her all the reasons why this wouldn’t work.

 

“Special Agent Warren, that is enough. Like it or not, this is the plan. Special Agent Black has already initiated the contact with Felix. Get on board or you are off this case and on desk duty for the next three weeks.”

 

Paul spun on his heel, glaring at Rosalie. _This was fucking bullshit._ Who the hell was this woman, Rachel, to come in here and completely destroy the case he and his partner had built so carefully?

 

“Those are your options Special Agent Warren. Think carefully before you speak again. I’ve been tolerant so far because I know you and Special Agent McCarty are close, but my patience is spent. Decide now. Continue on the case with Special Agent Black or desk duty.”

 

Paul desperately wanted to start punching or shooting something, anything, in that moment. Knowing he was out of options, his words were spat out through clenched teeth, “Fine. Continue on the case.” Turning to Rachel he growled, “Debrief in an hour. Meet me in the conference room. I have something I have to take care of.”

 

He knew he was out of bounds by leaving Rosalie’s office without being dismissed, but he didn’t give a flying fuck about that right now. He needed out of there. As much as he wanted to go to the hospital and rage at Emmett, he knew it wouldn’t do any good. Instead, he headed straight for the firing range.

 

-0-

 

Since it was so early in the morning, the firing range was empty, so Paul kept emptying and refilling his gun. Since he was so angry right now, his aim was for shit; he was lucky to even hit the paper with most shots.

 

With the protective gear on, he didn’t hear the door open, but he did notice another paper being sent out. He watched as it slid further back to the very edge of the line. Paul preferred close range practice, but feeling a little extra competitive after the disaster of a meeting earlier, he put a fresh sheet on his line and sent it all the way out.

 

Not even waiting for the paper to settle, Paul reloaded, released the safety and let loose. Bullet after bullet ejected from his gun and it took less than a minute before his clip was empty. Glancing over at the other sheet, he saw it zooming back toward the other shooter. Flipping the switch for his line, he tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for his paper to arrive. Once he had it in his hands, he stepped back out of the booth, pulling his headset off his ears so he could talk to the other person.

 

He heard the voice before he saw her, “For your information, he’s my brother. My younger brother.”

 

Rachel Black stepped out of the other booth, her jacket, paper, and headset in her hands, her gun holstered tight under her arm. Paul’s eyes naturally slid from her gun over to the gentle swell of her breasts. They weren’t busting out of her shirt, like he typically preferred, but the softness right next to the hard gun was fucking hot.

 

“Who’s your brother?” Paul asked as he attempted to pull his eyes up and away from her chest. When he finally met her eyes, she wasn’t smiling.

 

“Glad you could find my eyes all on your own. I was afraid I would need to draw you a map, it seemed you were getting lost there for a minute.”

 

“Listen-,” he growled out, but his words were cut off as Rachel continued speaking, completely ignoring the warning in his voice.

 

“Jacob Black, the agent you so obviously admire. He’s not my husband. He’s my baby brother. Everything he knows, I taught him.” She lifted the piece of paper in her hand. There was no longer a middle section to the paper; it was all blown out by the bullet holes. She looked back at him and this time there was a genuine smile on her face. Paul was struck by just how beautiful that smile made her. “Your hero, Jacob, failed his first ballistics test in the Academy. I had to give him a crash course the night before he retook it.”

 

Paul tried to fold his paper but she easily reached out and grabbed it. Taking a quick glance at the paper, she handed it back to Paul, smirking. “I could give you a crash course in ballistics too. You obviously need it.”

 

She turned around, aiming for the door. Paul was so shocked by how she was speaking to him; it took him until she reached the door to shake himself out of it. Running, he barely was able to grab her arm to stop her. “Who the fuck do you think you are? Coming in here, taking over my case, and now telling me I need a crash course in ballistics? You might be able to shoot, but you are still part of the Cyber geek-squad. You are temporary. Remember that.”

 

The door closed as Rachel spun around, dropping everything that was in her hands as she crossed her arms over her chest, her whole body inches from Paul’s. “You listen here, you chauvinistic pig. You might be younger than me, but you are old school Agency. The world is changing. Whether you like it or not, investigations aren’t just straight detective work any more. You are falling behind and the world is passing you by. So you can check out my tits all you want, but I can find your suspects faster, and shoot them down better if needed, than you could ever imagine.”

 

“No fucking way. I might be old school, but these methods have worked for decades. When it comes to this type of organized crime, you geeks can’t get us any further than old fashioned hard detective work.” Paul was fuming. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to storm off, continue fighting or grab her and pull her to him. He wanted to claim he would just shake some sense into her, but he knew his lips wouldn’t be able to resist tasting her if he had the opportunity. No matter how much he despised her, he couldn’t deny she was sexy as hell.

 

Rachel leaned back, her lips lifting slightly. “Wanna bet?”

 

“You bet your sweet ass I do.”

 

“Oh, good to know you checked out my ass too. Classy.” Paul couldn’t help the knowing grin that popped up on his face. _She liked having him check her out._ This gave him an idea. If she was willing to go on a date to find a suspect, he could only imagine how far she would go to prove a point to a chauvinistic, old-school, pig-agent like himself. His grin grew wider.

 

“Anyway,” she said in a clipped voice, ignoring his grin, “fifty dollars says my geek ways bring in at least five members of the Volturi family in the next three weeks.”

 

“Fifty dollars? That’s weak, Black. Five members were brought in two days ago from our raid.”

 

“Brought in, but nothing stuck. They’ve all since been released. Five members brought in and held for more than forty-eight hours.”

 

“Fine, but I need more than fifty dollars to agree to this.” Paul’s thumb slid over his lower chin and he didn’t miss when her eyes followed the movement. “I want a date.”

 

“What?” Rachel’s eyes jerked back to his.

 

He grinned, “If you manage to bring in five members of the Volturi, then I’ll take you out on a date to celebrate. If you don’t, you take me out on a date.” Paul leaned in close, unable to suppress a grin, “I like my steak rare.” Leaning back, his smile stretched fully across his face as he watched emotions flash across her face: anger, irritation, hatred, and mixed in among those, desire. _He had her._

 

He continued speaking when he saw her open her mouth, cutting her off. “You are willing to go on a date to catch a suspect, why not go out with me? A serious date, including a goodnight fuck at the end.” He knew he was pushing the envelope with that last part, but he wanted to rile her up. It worked.

 

“Go blow yourself, Warren. Besides, I don’t date agents.” He was sure it was intentional when she bent over right in front of him to gather the belongings she had dropped. Straightening up, she once again turned to the door.

 

Paul stopped her again, but this time, he used his body to lock her in between him and the door. Even though he didn’t touch her, the heat coming off her body electrified him. He wanted to slide his hand down her side, but he kept them next to her head instead. Leaning down, he whispered against her ear, “The goodnight fuck is optional, but I still want that date.”

 

“Fine,” she exhaled, but then she turned around, her lips close to his, but not touching. “A date, but if I win, you are paying for everything. I’ll need a new dress and shoes; Louboutin’s don’t come cheap, just like me.”

 

Rachel’s hands moved to his chest, pausing for just a second before she pushed with what he assumed was all her might. Surprisingly, she was actually able to make him move. Or maybe he was willing to step back for her.

 

She called over her shoulder as she walked out the door, “Hurry up, Warren, or you’ll be late for our debrief. I don’t go out with men that make me wait.”

 

-0-

 

The remainder of the day was spent with Paul giving Rachel a full debrief on what he and Emmett had found out about each member of the Volturi family. She took notes based on his information and asked great questions, some of which he didn’t have an answer to. After they went through about five members of the family, she would ask for a break. Paul listened in on the first phone call and realized she was calling up geek-squad members, having them pull together web information on these people.

 

As they wrapped up for the day, she briefly ran him through the two plans already in motion. Demetri hadn’t emailed his distributor yet, but he had set up a couple of meetings with known drug dealers in the area. Apparently he was prepping to go live with his new side business as soon as his distributor had the product for him. It looked like Demetri’s plan was to buy cheap with fake money then sell high, getting real money and more of it.

 

Rachel logged on to the dating website to show him the progress on Felix. It looked like he had emailed her back, from his hospital room Paul was guessing, wanting to try to get together in a couple of weeks. He did mention in his message that he was recovering from surgery, but Paul had to roll his eyes when he saw he blamed it on an “old sports injury”.

 

While he sat there looking at the computer monitor, Rachel began typing a response. He started laughing when she got all sympathetic over his “surgery”, but lost his shit when she offered to play nurse to help him heal faster.

 

“No fucking way. Do not send that, Black.”

 

“Why not? The plan is to make him think I’m interested. Flirting is a necessity.”

 

“That isn’t flirting,” Paul said roughly. “I know flirting. That is just telling him you want to fuck his brains out.”

 

To Paul’s surprise, Rachel shrugged, “I don’t know, he is an attractive man.”

 

“What the fuck?” Paul stood up, his rage making his entire body shake.

 

Rachel just stared at him. When she didn’t say anything, he finally asked, “What?”

 

“I was kidding. You really think I would fuck a suspect just to bring him in?”

 

Paul’s anger subsided quickly, but he still wasn’t happy about the situation. “I don’t know. Would you?”

 

“Have a good evening with your palm, Agent Warren.” Paul watched as she packed up her stuff.

 

“What? I’m not being a dick; I know I’d go to just about any length to bring in a suspect and to win our bet. I assumed the same was true for you.”

 

Rachel stopped at the door to the conference room, “You do a lot of assuming, Agent Warren. You assumed I was Jacob earlier, and now you assume I’m nothing more than a prostitute. Forgive me if I don’t want to be around a jerk like you right now. See you tomorrow.”

 

Paul watched as she walked out of the office. She didn’t turn back to look and that, more than anything, made him feel like the jerk she accused him of being.

 

-0-

 

Paul stepped into Emmett’s hospital room, thankful that Rosalie wasn’t there. He hadn’t spoken to his boss since he stormed out of her office that morning. He was expecting an ass reaming all day, but she hadn’t said anything. He was hoping that meant he was off the hook, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t get off that easy.

 

When Paul walked in, Emmett’s face burst into a smile and he pushed a button to raise the back of his bed up. Paul saw a notebook sitting beside his bed and laughed. “Hale buy you that?”

 

Emmett nodded, grabbing the notebook and writing quickly in his chicken scratch. Paul looked over his shoulder and read as he wrote. _Yeah, she’d have my hide if I used my voice. She visited earlier and was cursing your name pretty heavily. How was Agent Black?_

 

“She told you Agent Black was Rachel and not Jacob yesterday, didn’t she?” Paul asked as he sat down in the chair beside Emmett’s bed. He was exhausted and couldn’t stand up any longer.

 

Emmett’s head moved up and down and that’s when Paul realized most of the tubes had been removed. There were still a couple, but Emmett was definitely looking better. Maybe he would heal faster than the doctors said. Paul could hope.

 

“Why didn’t she tell me yesterday? I know I made an ass of myself, but she shocked the hell out of me when it was Rachel that walked in her office this morning. What the fuck was I supposed to think? I had no fucking clue Jacob had a sister in the agency.”

 

Emmett shrugged and started writing again. _I don’t know. She told me she was bringing in Agent Rachel Black, but I was shocked as hell when she didn’t correct you last night. I take it she’s hot?_

 

Paul sunk the heel of his hands into his eyes, rubbing roughly. The image of Rachel was burned into his mind and for the first time, he let himself fully assess her. Sinking back into the chair Paul admitted the truth to his best friend and partner. “Yeah, she’s hot.”

 

Emmett didn’t have to write or vocalize his thoughts; Paul could tell what he was thinking based on the look on his face. _Fuck yeah. About damn time._

 

Even though Emmett hadn’t told him he was dating Rosalie, Paul had known he was dating someone pretty seriously. Emmett had been giving him crap about needing to find someone for the last few months. Paul wasn’t opposed to a relationship, but he was so focused on his job, he didn’t have time to focus on someone else.

 

Of course, he didn’t hurt for female companionship, but he never planned on calling them later. He rarely went on dates, which made him stop for a minute. _Why did he want a date with Rachel?_ He couldn’t answer that question; he just knew he didn’t like the idea of her going out with a suspect. Or anyone really.

 

Fucking hell. This so wasn’t going to be good.

 

-0-

 

Paul tried to ignore his ulterior motives for a date with Rachel as he got ready the next morning, focusing instead on the case. He had to admit, keeping up with Rachel was exhausting. Her brain seemed to be working every moment of the day. He had received emails throughout the night from her, telling him about the new leads her team was finding. He wondered if she ever slept, but had to stop that train of thought when it switched to sleeping with her.

 

She was already working on a new lead when he arrived and by that afternoon they had a lower ranking member of the Volturi family in custody. She found him by tracking his search patterns; finding out that he was searching local stores online. After a few well placed phone calls, he and Rachel were bringing him in for passing counterfeit money.

 

Paul joined her for the interview of the captured suspect. Even though he shouldn’t be, he was impressed by her interview skills. Where his first instinct would have been to rough this punk up, she was a calming force, getting his information without pushing too hard.

 

However, her attempt to keep him settled during the interview had the opposite effect. As the suspect talked, Paul could feel himself getting riled up. His fists were clenching and his foot was pounding an erratic rhythm against the floor. To his shock, he suddenly felt something sharp digging into his loafer. It took him a minute to figure it out, but when he did, his dick jumped to attention. She was digging the heel of her outrageously high shoe into his foot to stop him.

 

He stopped moving, but only because he was trying to think of anything to deflate what was now pressing against the zipper of his slacks. He had himself under control when they left the interview room, but as soon as the door closed, Rachel was on him.

 

She swung around, her black hair flying loose around her shoulders as her pointer finger pushed against his chest with every word she said. “If you ever pull that trick again in an interview I’m going to shove my heel up your ass.”

 

Even though he knew she was angry, her words turned him on. Her eyes were wide with her fury and suddenly, he wanted to push back. “You were taking too long and the guy had no information. He’s entry level at best.”

 

She took the bait, stepping closer. “You’re just jealous I brought someone in here from the Volturi family after only officially being on the case thirty-six hours. I’m making you look bad.”

 

“The charges won’t stick,” Paul said as she turned away from her. He knew she wouldn’t let him get away with the last word and she didn’t disappoint.

 

When she jumped in front of him, Paul had enough time to stop his body if he wanted to. He didn’t. Instead, he ran into her, wrapping his arm around her waist to stop her from toppling over in those fuck-me pumps. He knew she could feel him pressed against her hip, but he didn’t care. He wanted her to know, wanted her to think about it like he was. Once he stopped moving, he slowly released her; but he let his hand slide over the soft curve of her hip before he let her go.

 

Her cheeks were bright red, but as she attempted to compose herself, he watched as her hand brushed over the spot where he had touched her. Looking up at him again, she had a huge smile on her face, “The charges will stick, Warren, but don’t worry, and I’ll make sure the restaurant we go to doesn’t serve you any of your pig brethren.”

 

-0-

 

The remainder of the week flew by, with Rachel and her geek-squad finding two other suspects. The charges on the first guy did stick, just as she suspected. She also got the charges to hold up on the second guy. They were waiting in the conference room late on Friday night, hoping to hear about the third suspect.

 

Paul refused to sit. It had been a long ass week, starting with Emmett getting shot and ending with Rachel well on her way to winning the bet. As much as that should anger Paul, instead, it excited him. _I’m a sick fucker_ , he thought as he circled the conference table again.

 

“If you don’t stop pacing, I’m going to throw a shoe at your crotch, heel first. You’d make a great soprano.”

 

Paul stopped, chuckling to himself as he leaned against the table beside her. She was smart, sarcastic, and tough, and she gave as good as she got. On top of that, she was a looker. When the phone to the conference room rang, she reached out and answered it, but he didn’t bother turning around to look at the phone. He preferred the view he had right now.

 

He didn’t hear the attorney’s words, but he could tell by the crestfallen look on Rachel’s face that this one had walked. It had been a flimsy catch, but since this one was so high in the family, they had hoped it would work.

 

Unfortunately, Jane had a strong enough alibi for why she was purchasing the large quantities of ink that the attorney couldn’t hold her. She claimed she volunteered at a local women’s shelter, and was donating the ink for the shelter’s needs. The shelter backed up her claims, stating it was very generous of her.

 

“Come on, Black, let’s go get a drink,” Paul said as she hung up the phone.

 

Rachel eyed him, “You just want to get me drunk and in your bed.”

 

“Maybe another night, but right now, it’s been a long ass week. I want to take my partner out for a drink. Trust me, I’d be taking McCarty out right now too if he weren’t in the hospital.”

 

Rachel leaned her head back, her eyes closing as she breathed slowly. He caught her chest rising and falling out of the corner of his eye, but he managed to stay focused above the neck. When she opened her eyes again, she spoke softly, “Yeah, a drink would be good. Just let me pack up.”

 

-0-

 

The bar was packed when they got there, but after giving a few agents he knew some well placed dirty looks, a table opened up for them. They put in their drink orders and Paul put in an order for a couple of appetizers. When Rachel lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him, he laughed. “I’m starving. My partner is a slave driver. All I had was a bag of chips from the vending machine for lunch.”

 

“Why don’t you pack? You know eating like that is going to give you a heart attack.”

 

“Black, keep talking like that and I might think you worry about me.” Paul laughed but kept going, “Food spoils at my place. Best just to buy from machines and restaurants. I can’t cook for shit.”

 

“You need a wife,” Rachel grinned at him as their drinks were dropped off.

 

Taking a quick swallow he looked at her over the rim of his glass, “You volunteering?”

 

“Hell no. I like my career too much to become some man’s maid and chef.”

 

Paul nursed his drink, speaking slowly, “I understand the feeling. I don’t think I could ever marry someone. I am this job, all my friends are here.”

 

The food arrived before Rachel said anything. As they shared the snacks, they discussed the past week. Rachel asked him about Emmett and he updated her. He was excited about Emmett’s progress and the doctor’s felt that he should be completely healed up in the next two weeks.

 

“That’s great news. I know you miss him.”

 

“Yeah. What about your partner? He or she must miss you.” Paul suddenly realized he hadn’t thought about Rachel’s partner at all. He had been so focused on her coming in and being his temporary partner he never considered her side.

 

Rachel paused, her eyes moving over the bar full of agents. When she found his eyes again, she looked upset, which surprised him. “My partner was promoted to head up the LA-division of Cyber. A job I was up for, until-.” She cut herself off, shaking her head as she took a quick gulp of her drink. When she looked at him, she was calm again, even smiling. “I’m proud of you for not assuming my former partner was a guy, Warren.”

 

“Well, I’ve heard it makes an ass out of you and me when you assume.” Paul’s smile was wide when Rachel laughed loudly at his lame joke. He knew she had been uncomfortable talking about her former partner, and he was excited that he could make her laugh, distract her.

 

“Yeah, I’ve heard that rumor. So what about you? What are your goals for your career?”

 

Paul’s face fell slightly. This was a question he had been asking himself more and more lately. He had a feeling Emmett was going to pop the question before the Volturi case was wrapped; probably once he was given the all-clear to return to work. He hadn’t said anything, but something told Paul he needed to make a decision, fast. He was running out of time.

 

“I’ve been trying to figure that out lately. For so long I was just focused on getting in and then on being good at my job. I’ve been so busy doing my job, I haven’t thought about my career.”

 

Rachel nodded, as if she understood. “Mind if I give you a little advice, seasoned agent that I am?”

 

“Sure, I’ll take your advice, but you aren’t that old, Black. Stop talking like you’re eighty.” Paul couldn’t help his grin. He knew Rachel was a few years older than him, but she had proven this week that she could run circles around him. He had a ton of respect for her that had nothing to do with her age.

 

A smile brightened her face, lighting up her eyes. “Thanks for the reminder, Warren. Just- don’t get too good at your job. The better you are, the harder it is for the Bureau to give up an established and proven field agent for a management job. Running circles around the new recruits doesn’t always get your further.”

 

Paul nodded but didn’t comment, instead letting her words sink in. The more she talked, the more he wanted to hear about her. He had a feeling Rachel had a very interesting story to tell, but he knew this wasn’t the right time.

 

They tossed back a few more drinks, sharing some jokes, discussing all different topics, including Rachel’s brother Jacob. As the bar emptied, Paul asked the waiter for the tab. Rachel grabbed her wallet but Paul shook his head. “My treat. You were right; I was an ass earlier this week. The least I can do is buy you a few drinks to make up for it.”

 

Rachel put her wallet away, but levelled her eyes to his, “You know this isn’t a date, right Warren?”

 

“Of course not, Black.” He handed the waiter cash and stood up, offering Rachel his hand.

 

He was shocked when she took it, using it to steady herself on those heels. Once she had her balance, she took slow and measured steps forward. Just in case, Paul moved his hand to her lower back, ready to catch her if she tumbled over. She didn’t protest, so he kept it there. As they walked out into the cool evening, he hailed her a cab.

 

Paul leaned into the cab to help her get settled in the car, making sure she gave the driver her address. Before he pulled back, he pressed his mouth against her ear, “If this were a date, I’d be joining you in this cab right now. We would head to my place for that goodnight fuck.”

 

Paul laughed when he saw Rachel shiver as he slammed the cab door closed. He decided it was a nice enough night; he would walk home from the bar. It was probably two miles away, but he could use the time and air to clear his mind; and to remind his dick he wouldn’t be getting any action tonight. _But maybe soon._

 

-0-

 

The captures came a little slower the next week. Two people were brought in, but the charges only stuck for one. As the final week of Paul and Rachel’s partnership approached the two suspects she had initially set traps for finally took the bait.

 

Rachel’s plan for Demetri worked flawlessly. The moment he sent the email to his distributor, she was alerted by the Cyber team and they were on the move. They arrived at the scene well before Demetri and set everything up.

 

It was an easy capture and they brought both him and the distributor in. The distributor was furious when he found out that Demetri had paid him with counterfeit money, threatening Demetri’s life. It was easy then to get Demetri to cooperate, because now he needed their protection from the distributor, as well as the local drug dealers he had made bad deals with.

 

Paul and Rachel went out to celebrate Demetri’s capture that night and while they were tossing back their first drink, she got an email from Felix. He was out of the hospital and eager to meet. Paul got a cocky grin on his face when he read the part where Felix told her he would be in a wheelchair, since he was still recovering.

 

“What are you grinning about?” Rachel asked, taking her BlackBerry out of Paul’s hands. She glanced at the screen and then back up at Paul, a small smile on her face. “You did that to him, didn’t you?”

 

“Would you sleep with me if I said yes?” Paul joked. This had become part of their routine now, the jokes about having sex. Paul was dying for her to take him up one of these times, but so far, she kept a safe distance from him. They rarely touched, and the occasional brush of a leg or hand was usually ignored as if it didn’t happen or apologized for.

 

“Absolutely not. I also wouldn’t sleep with you if you said no.” Her smile let him know she was letting him down easy, but it still stung. “So I take it he was among those you hit in your Rambo-style gunfire battle with the Volturi?”

 

Paul barked out a laugh, shocked by her words, “‘Rambo-style’? Who told you that?”

 

“DAD Hale. Apparently McCarty told her.” She paused, her smile disappearing quickly. “They’re together, right?”

 

Paul wanted to keep the secret for his partner, but he had a feeling Rachel already knew, this was just confirmation. He gave a subtle nod before saying, “Did DAD Hale tell you?”

 

“Not in so many words. Rosalie and I have known each other for many years. She was really pushing for me to get the promotion to head up the LA-division of Cyber and when that fell through, she worked her ass off to get me over here. She knew about my plan for integration of Cyber division agents in with other field agents, and has been a real champion for me and this plan.” She paused, considering Paul’s answer. “So what are you going to do if McCarty moves to another division? There’s no way the Bureau will allow them to continue working together once it’s official.”

 

Paul finished off his drink the tossed some cash on the table before standing. “I don’t know, but for right now, let’s go get you a hot date with a criminal in a wheelchair.”

 

-0-

 

The plan for Felix was to simply get him to talk over dinner with Rachel. Paul helped her to get the wire on the next night, trying not to be too much of an asshole when he saw what she was wearing for her date with a criminal. The dress was shorter, tighter, and lower cut than he would ever approve of. She also wore heels that had to be six inches high, based on the fact that she was nearly the same height as him in them. All Paul could think was if that fucker Felix even came close to touching Rachel, he was going to blow both of his legs and his dick off his fucking body. _Yeah, best to keep his mouth shut right now._

 

They did a few checks on the equipment and made sure the other agents that were managing the recording aspect could hear them. Once they were given the all clear, Paul watched as she left for the restaurant. A few minutes later, Paul made his way in, heading straight for the bar. From his seat he could watch Rachel and Felix in the mirror over the bar, as well as hear their conversation through his ear piece.

 

They were still going through the pleasantries when Paul received his drink. His plan was to slowly sip but before their appetizer arrived, his drink was gone. Needing to stay focused, he ordered water instead of the refill he was craving.

 

Paul could feel himself growing more and more angry as he listened to Felix put his best moves on Rachel. The guy wasn’t smooth, but as Rachel had said, he was an attractive man, and Rachel was playing along like she was interested in everything he had to say. In his mind Paul knew Rachel wouldn’t sleep with Felix, but he was having a hard time convincing the rest of himself of that. He was ready to go over there and attack before their meals even showed up.

 

As they ate, Rachel finally led the conversation toward what Felix did for a living. At first he was vague, mentioning that he worked in “securities”. Rachel played dumb, asking if that was like the stock market, and Felix clarified that he did security work, protecting his family business.

 

The more Rachel giggled and kept her eyes locked on Felix’s lips, the more he gave her. By the time dessert came out, he told her that he had killed a man before to protect his father. She seemed shocked but also still interested in why his father was in such danger.

 

Felix never came out and said his father made counterfeit money, but when the bill came out, Paul suspected the pair of hundreds he slipped to the waiter were fakes. Moving fast, he had an agent check the money. Once he had confirmation, they had him.

 

As Felix and Rachel started to leave the restaurant, Rachel turned toward the bar, her eyes catching Paul’s in the mirror. She gave him the sexiest wink then mouthed, “I win.”

 

-0-

 

Rachel had won. Felix was booked and the charges held up. She had brought in five members of the Volturi family in just under three weeks. All of them had talked and they now had solid leads on how to bring in the remainder of the family. She also knew that Aro, Marcus, and Caius were running scared, all three having left the country in the past forty-eight hours.

 

Rosalie called Paul and Rachel in to her office on Friday afternoon to congratulate both of them on a job well done, as well as to announce that Emmett had been given the all-clear and would be returning on Monday.

 

As excited as Paul was to have his partner back, he wasn’t ready to lose Rachel. As they left Rosalie’s office, Paul asked Rachel to wait for him, he needed to talk to Rosalie briefly before their final run through of Volturi family member status.

 

Paul knocked on Rosalie’s door and she called out for him to enter. When she saw who it was, she didn’t seem surprised. “Agent Warren. You’re back. I thought you’d be out celebrating being free of Agent Black.”

 

“Agent Black is actually what I wanted to discuss with you, DAD Hale. What will happen with her on Monday?”

 

“She’ll return to Cyber as we promised, Agent Warren.” Rosalie had a sympathetic smile on her face. “You two did great work together over these last few weeks. You made a good team.”

 

“Yeah, we did. What about her plan for integrating Cyber division agents into the different divisions? Where will that go?”

 

Rosalie sat back, a little surprised. “She told you about that? I thought after she lost the promotion to the LA-division she would have been a little more protective of her ideas.”

 

“I’m sorry; I don’t understand what you mean?” Paul was confused by what Rosalie was saying. What did telling him about her plan have to do with Rachel not getting the promotion?

 

Rosalie leaned forward in her chair, speaking slowly, “Her former partner, and best friend, used her friendship to steal her ideas for developing the LA-division. I’m surprised she’d tell you her plans because ever since then, Agent Black has been very tight lipped. I don’t know if you are aware, but it is very difficult to get promoted as a female in the agency, and Agent Black is a valuable asset that Cyber is reluctant to lose.”

 

Paul nodded; surprised to learn that he was one of the first people Rachel had opened up to after getting burned by her former partner. “Thank you, and I agree, Agent Black is a very valuable asset.”

 

Rosalie nodded, and Paul had a feeling she knew he was considering his next move.

 

“Have a good weekend, Agent Warren.”

 

“You too, Director Hale.”

 

-0-

 

Once Paul and Rachel finalized their review of Volturi family members, they then finalized plans for their date the next night. Rachel was cocky, giving Paul shit about having lost, but he didn’t care. They agreed that he would take her shopping to buy her dress and shoes, though he wasn’t “allowed” to see the purchases before their date.

 

Paul rang her doorbell precisely at six the next night. He played with his tie, both trying to make sure it was straight as well as to have something to do with his empty hand. When she opened the door, Paul forgot all about the flowers in his other hand as he took in the sight of her. The dress showed all of her off perfectly; long legs, tiny waist, and breasts that teased him by just barely peeking over the top of the dress.

 

Then there were the heels. Just as high as the ones she had worn for her date with Felix, but instead of the standard black, these were a soft pink, with what looked like flower petals running from her ankle to her toes. “The Loubi-whatever’s I assume?”

 

“Louboutin’s. Yes, these are them.” She leaned forward and dropped a kiss on Paul’s cheek, speaking softly, “Thank you, I love them. I take it you like them too?”

 

Paul could only nod as she pulled away from him. Based on the smile on her face, she was well aware she had him by the short and curlies, but he couldn’t give a damn. This was going to be the date of a lifetime.

 

“Those for me?” Rachel asked as she pointed at the flowers he had forgotten about.

 

“Oh, yeah.” His hand moved automatically, handing them to her.

 

“You go all out when it comes to a date, Agent Warren.” She grinned at him as she took the flowers. She closed her eyes briefly while she inhaled the scent, but then quickly opened them again, placing the flowers just inside the door and closing it quickly behind her.

 

“It’s Paul, tonight. No Agent Warren, or Warren. Just Paul.” He wasn’t sure why he felt the need to have her call him by his given name, but for some reason, it was very important to him.

 

Sliding her arm through his, she smiled as he walked her to the waiting car. “Alright, Paul, but I’m not sure if you’ve earned the right to call me ‘Rachel’ yet.”

 

He watched as she settled herself in the car, grinning like a fool. Once he was in and the car was moving again, he couldn’t help asking, “Oh yeah? What would I have to do to earn that honor?”

 

“This is a good start.” She winked at him.

 

They fell into an easy and familiar pattern of topics, managing to avoid talking about the case or what would happen next week. The car ride was pleasant and Paul was a little disappointed to see it end so quickly.

 

He escorted Rachel into the restaurant. He was proud of himself for finding this place. It was still conveniently located near his apartment, in case that goodnight fuck was still on the table, but completely different from where Felix had taken her. The waiter escorted them to the table, which ended up being the most secluded table in the restaurant without Paul having to slip him any money.

 

Their conversation picked up again where it left off in the car. They talked about family, friends, high school, college, living on their own, travel, dream places to live and every other topic a normal couple would discuss over dinner. Rachel teased him non-stop, but he couldn’t stop grinning throughout the meal. She challenged him, pushed his buttons, but also made him laugh. She really was an amazing woman.

 

By the time dessert came out, he had resigned himself that the evening was coming to a close. Rachel’s eyes glossed over when her dessert was placed in front of her. Watching her enjoy the first bite, he had to remind his dick that nothing was going to happen tonight. However, his dick ignored him, standing at attention as she moaned around her spoon.

 

When she managed to remove the spoon and come down off her dessert high, she looked at him with glazed eyes. “I think you’ve earned the right now to call me ‘Rachel’.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Mmhmm. You’ve behaved yourself all night. I’m quite impressed, Paul. I thought for sure you’d be hounding me the whole time, wanting to know whether or not we would be going back to your place after this.”

 

“I thought you didn’t sleep with agents, Rachel.” Paul rolled her name off his tongue, loving the feeling of finally using her “real” name.

 

She tilted her head slightly as she enjoyed another bite of her dessert. Licking her lips clean, her mouth moved up into a genuine smile when she caught him watching her mouth intently. “I don’t, but right now we aren’t agents, are we? I don't see Agent Warren and Agent Black here. I'm pretty sure it's just Paul and Rachel."

 

She didn't have to say another word to him. Paul placed more than enough money on the table to cover a dinner for four, reached out for her hand and helped her up. Once she was up and moving, he let his hand move from the small of her back to her hip, pulling her close to him.

 

As they moved through the restaurant, he felt her lips graze his earlobe as she whispered. “No need to hurry, Paul. We have all night.”

 

He didn’t respond, just kept walking, leading her out of the restaurant at what he hoped was an acceptable speed. She didn’t trip on her heels, so he figured she was ok.

 

The car was waiting for them out front. As Rachel got in, he told the driver to go to his place. Rachel was already lifting the privacy glass when he shut the door. When the glass was all the way up, they turned to one another immediately, grinning.

 

Without a word, Paul reached out for her, pulling her beside him. His fingers moved through her hair as he held her steady. His lips were slow at first, just light passes over her lips. After a moment though, Rachel let him know she was not in the mood for slow.

 

Rachel pushed him back away from her. In his moment of surprise, she swung her leg over his hip, her dress riding up impossibly high as she sunk down on his upper thighs. “I never would have taken you for the gentle lover, Paul.”

 

That was all the encouragement he needed. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her down hard on his cock as his lips attacked hers. Instead of gasping in surprise like he expected, Rachel twisted her hips against him, increasing the pressure below as she slipped her tongue into his mouth.

 

While their mouth’s battled, Paul’s hands moved past her bunched up dress to her warm skin. Her thighs were silky skin over well-toned muscles. He was just aiming for what was between them when the car stopped.

 

Rachel pulled back from his mouth, but before she left completely he felt her teeth nip his bottom lip. “You taste good, Paul.” Closing her eyes, she licked her lips as her body swayed over his. “Good, but not as good as that dessert earlier.”

 

“That was just the appetizer,” he growled, pinching the back of her thigh to get her moving. When she squealed, he laughed, but his laughter was cut off when she moved off of him. He wanted to pull her back, even though she was straightening herself up so they could continue inside.

 

Once she was decent, he waved off the driver, having paid him earlier for the full night. Taking her hand, he led her into his place. It was a simple one bedroom apartment, but it worked for him.

 

He opened his mouth to offer her a drink but she cut him off. “How about you give me the grand tour? Start and end with the bedroom.”

 

“Right this way.” Paul smirked as he bypassed the living room and kitchen, taking her down the short hallway to his bedroom. The king size bed took up much of the space in the room, so the tour was over before it even began.

 

He walked into the bathroom as she looked around the room. He removed his socks and shoes then grabbed a few condoms, placing them on the bedside table as she looked back at him. “More than one. I like the way you think, Paul.”

 

“And I like the way you look standing beside my bed. I’d like it even more if you were naked with just those expensive-as-hell shoes on.”

 

She turned around, giving him her back. She looked over her shoulder at him as she spoke, “Mind unzipping?”

 

Paul stepped forward without another word. Gathering her hair, he draped it over her other shoulder before sliding his tongue down the exposed column of her neck. His fingers slowly moved the zipper down as his tongue moved over every inch of skin the zipper revealed. When he reached the end of the zipper, he slipped his hands under the material of the dress.

 

Rachel did gasp when Paul moved his hands around her chest instead of back up to her shoulders. His fingers found her breasts, cupping them as he pulled her back against him. His teeth wrapped around her earlobe just as each of his hands pinched at her nipples. Rachel moaned, pushing her ass back, her hands grabbing his hips, pulling him tight to her.

 

Paul’s hips pressed against her, his cock primed and ready for her. He quickly removed her dress, unable to go slow any longer. When she turned around to him, he was the one gasping. She was fucking beautiful in just a thong and those shoes.

 

“Strip for me.” She said, her hands moving to her hips. “Start with the tie then slowly unbutton your shirt.”

 

Paul’s cock throbbed in anticipation, enjoying the command in her voice. Doing as she said, he quickly removed his tie then took his time with each button. He removed the shirt as she started speaking again. “Tell me Paul; boxers, briefs, or commando?”

 

He didn’t hesitate in his answer, “Commando.”

 

She stepped forward, one hand reaching out to cup him through his pants. He nearly fell forward at the feeling, barely catching himself. He struggled to hear what she was saying. “Are you telling me, all that time we were working together, you never wore anything under your pants?”

 

He shook his head, choking out his words as her grip tightened and then released around him, “No, never. Briefs too- fucking hell.”

 

She took a step back, removing her hand from him. She gave him a moment to compose himself before asking, “You were saying?”

 

“Briefs are too constricting, and boxers feel- weird.” As he spoke, his words slowed down as his eyes watched her hands. By the time he managed to speak his last word, she had removed the thin strip of material that was left on her body. She stood before him completely naked.

 

She stepped forward again, not speaking as she undid his pants. She pushed them down, her hands stopping to squeeze his ass as she nipped at his ear. “I suspected you went commando. I never could see lines of anything underneath your pants. And believe me, I looked. You have a spectacular ass.”

 

Paul didn’t say anything as she explored his now naked body. Her lips moved over his abs, squeezing his ass again before moving lower. He clenched his fists beside his thighs to prevent himself from grabbing her hair as her mouth got closer to his cock.

 

However, when her mouth took all of him in without warning, he was unable to stop himself, his fingers tangling in her hair. Her hands stayed locked on his ass as she pulled him forward, deeper into her mouth.

 

She worked him with both her mouth and her hands, switching between pumping his cock and squeezing his ass. Her mouth and tongue worked together to drive him crazy. Paul was on the edge and knew he wouldn’t last long at this rate. Using all his strength of will, he pushed her head back, pulling his cock out of her mouth.

 

“Something wrong?” She asked, but she knew, he could tell by the look in her eye.

 

“Nothing wrong, in fact, you’re too damn good. I’m about to fucking come in your mouth.”

 

She licked her lips, her eyes not moving from his as she spoke, “Do you want me to stop?”

 

“Fuck no!” Paul shouted a little louder than he planned.

 

“Good.” Rachel’s took him again without another word.

 

Paul could feel his release building, his hands directing Rachel, adjusting her speed to his body’s needs. Just when he thought he couldn’t take it any longer, one of her hands moved from his ass to his balls. He lost his shit faster than a teenage boy, coming deep in Rachel’s mouth. She swallowed every drop before easing off his cock.

 

She took a couple of steps back until she was against the edge of the bed. She crooked her finger at him, telling him to approach her. He moved at her command, stopping when he was in front of her. Unable to stop himself, his lips moved over hers. He went to push her back on the bed but she stopped him.

 

Pulling back from his lips she gave him a wicked grin. “Not yet. First, you repay the favor. I want your mouth on me.”

 

“Abso-fucking-lutely.” Paul happily slid down to his knees.

 

His mouth teased around her inner thighs and her hips until she stopped him. “You sure do like to tease, Paul, but that’s not what I want right now. Make me come.”

 

Paul growled deep in his chest, pushing her to sit on the bed. He opened her legs wide so that she was completely open to him. His tongue took one long lick, from base to her clit, and he saw her body shiver.

 

“Fuck, you taste better than any dessert.” Paul said before he buried his mouth against her. His plan was to completely overwhelm her body. His fingers teased her clit while his tongue thrust into her. As he heard her moan his name, his cock came back to life.

 

He licked her one last time before replacing his tongue with his fingers. As his fingers pumped, his mouth moved to her clit. When his tongue flattened against her she sat up, grabbing his head, directing him just like he had just directed her.

 

It didn’t take much longer before she was crying out, her body tightening around his fingers as she pulled at the little bit of hair Paul had on his head.

 

As she was coming down off her high, Paul reached over for a condom, sheathing himself. Rachel was still open wide to him, spread out over his bed. She looked perfect and he couldn’t wait another moment to be in her.

 

She looked up as he approached. “What are you waiting for, an invitation?”

 

“Might be nice,” he said as he leaned over her body, kissing her as his cock easily found her entrance.

 

“Paul,” Rachel saying his name made his cock throb just a little harder, “please fuck me.”

 

That was all the invitation he needed. He slid into her, groaning as he felt her tighten around him as soon as he settled. Her legs moved around his hips and he could just feel the tips of her heels against his ass. Those tips dug in a little deeper as she used her legs to pull him closer.

 

His lips moved over hers as he rocked his hips slowly. Rachel’s arms wrapped around his shoulders as her legs tightened around him. He was shocked when she managed to roll him over onto his back.

 

“Enough taking your time, Paul.” Rachel grinned down at him as she started moving against his cock, setting her own pace.

 

Paul was fascinated watching her tits bounce as she rode him. Unable to stop himself, he sat up, taking one of those nipples in his mouth. Rachel arched her back, pulling him tighter to her as she sank down on him. While his teeth tugged at her nipple, Rachel lost her rhythm, her hips now making erratic circles against him.

 

When he dropped the first nipple, she whimpered until he grabbed the other with his mouth. His hands moved to her hips, helping her reset her tempo on him as she moaned deep in her chest.

 

Their bodies were both quickly covered with sweat and Paul was trying to hold himself back. She felt too fucking good but he didn’t want to go just yet. Rachel slowed down briefly, giving him a chance to catch his breath.

 

Rachel’s hands moved to his chest, using it as leverage to push herself up off of him before she sank down again. When her body started moving faster, he knew she was close. His balls tightening told him he wasn’t going to hold off any longer either.

 

Deciding to help her along, his hand moved from her hip to the top of her pussy. Easily finding her clit, he gave it a little flick before pressing his thumb against her, making circles with his thumb.

 

“Fuck! Paul! Harder!” Rachel screamed out.

 

Paul added a little more pressure then watched as she lost it above him. Her whole body was moving now; arms grasping for anything to support her, head thrown back, tits bouncing, and those heels pushed hard against his outer thighs as she used them for leverage.

 

The heels were his undoing and he found himself screaming out her name, his body pushing hard up into her as he released. He felt her fall on top of him while he was coming, but her body helped him along, tightening around him as he finished.

 

-0-

 

Rachel was insatiable. Even as he was recovering, she was ready for another round. When they went through the condoms he had put on the bedside table, Rachel ran into the bathroom to grab more.

 

Finally around three in the morning, Paul found himself dozing off, his arm around Rachel’s body as he rested his eyes briefly. Just as he felt himself falling into a deep sleep, he realized Rachel was no longer in his arms.

 

Sitting up in bed he saw her pulling on her dress. She slipped on her shoes and turned her back to him. “Mind zipping me up?”

 

Paul was too shocked to say anything. His hand moved to her zipper but he took his time sliding it up her back. Once that was completed she spun around, leaning forward to drop her lips to his. “Thanks for the date, Warren. I had a good time. The goodnight fuck was fun too.”

 

“That’s it? You’re leaving?” Paul couldn’t stop from saying the words, but he hated himself as soon as they were out of his mouth. He had no right getting attached to Rachel, and he knew that. He just didn’t want to admit it, because he was already attached.

 

Rachel frowned, clearly taken aback by his words. “Warren, I assumed we were clear. This was fun and all, but it was just for tonight. I still don’t date agents.”

 

Paul pulled himself together, sifting through his brain for the right thing to say so that he wouldn’t sound like the complete pansy-ass he felt like right now. “No, we’re clear. I just- ah, thought we could have a little more fun after I rested up.” He tried to make his mouth move into an easy grin but gave up when it felt more like a snarl to him.

 

Rachel tilted her head, like she was trying to read him, but finally gave up. “Maybe another time. You can always tempt me with another pair of Louboutin’s.”

 

Paul pulled on his pants quickly, following her out and hailing a cab for her. He wanted to beg her to stay, but knew that wouldn’t happen, no matter how many pairs of shoes he offered.

 

When a cab pulled up, she gave him one last kiss on the lips, before sliding into the back seat. She rolled down the window before the cab pulled away. “See you later, Warren. Let me know if you ever want that crash course in ballistics. Ask my brother, I’m the best teacher there is.”

 

“I might have to take you up on that,” Paul said, waving as the cab drove off.

 

Walking back into his apartment, Paul suddenly felt very empty. The tiny apartment now felt huge without her here. Somewhere along the way Rachel had gone from a pain in his ass and his sworn nemesis to a friend and someone he wanted in his life. Strike that, someone he _needed_ in his life.

 

He let his head fall back against the door none-too-gently, and then pounded it a few extra times for good measure. He was trying to knock some sense into himself. Or maybe knock Rachel out of his head. Either way, it wasn’t working, and now he had a headache on top of the pain in his chest.

 

“Well shit. Doesn’t this just fucking suck?” Paul shuffled off to his bedroom, knowing he wouldn’t get any sleep when his entire room smelled like her. Instead, he grabbed a pillow off his bed, removed his pants and walked back out to the living room, crashing on the couch for the worst night’s sleep of his life.

 

-0-

 

 **A/N:** Hope you enjoyed! Don’t forget to review  & vote!

 


	2. Conclusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: We own nothing. Just a lot of make-up and a lot of Twi merch. It’s all SM. We thank her for letting us play with her babies.

 

 **Pen Name:** StupidLeeches 

 **Title:** Assumptions Part 2

**Rating: MA/NC-17**

**Pairing:** Paul/Rachel

 **Summary:** FBI Agent Rachel Black has returned to the Cyber Division, but needs a date to her brother’s engagement party. She’s not happy about it, but her only choice is Agent Paul Warren. It starts out as just a date, but that changes quickly.

**Word Count:**

**Beta'd by:** morethanhuman

 

 

Rachel tossed her keys and purse on the table in the foyer of her tiny apartment as she locked the door behind herself. Snagging the stack of mail from her purse, she kicked off her heels and headed straight for the kitchen. It had been a long ass day and all she wanted was a glass of wine and her tub. If she was honest with herself, she wanted something else, but _he_ wasn’t an option.

 

Leaning against her kitchen counter, she began to flip through her mail to distract herself. The second piece she came to was an invitation to an engagement party hosted by her parents for her brother, Jacob Black, and his fiancee, Ness Cullen.

 

She flung the card stock down on the counter and muttered an expletive. She had a month to find a date for this stupid party. There was no way in hell she’d attend alone, not with her over achieving baby brother and her twin sister’s picture perfect family being there. She was tired of her family looking down their nose at her for being single and solely focused on her career. It wasn’t enough that Jacob had to join the FBI and climb the ladder quickly, now he’d also managed to get himself engaged.

 

In the Black family, she was the white sheep. She was damn good at her job, having more than proved that in the last few weeks. Unfortunately, she was too good, which meant no promotion coming her way any time soon. On top of that, because she was so focused on her work, she also had no relationship potential in sight. The last boyfriend she’d had was - well, so long ago she couldn’t really remember.

 

Not that she lacked for company, but she stuck with keeping things casual. Most men were looking for someone to be their mother, not their wife. She loved her career and had no plan of giving that up any time soon. Unfortunately, the only men that understood her passion for her career were fellow agents, but she wasn’t going there. She didn’t date agents.

 

Not wanting to think of how she had technically broken her own rule recently, she returned her thoughts to her current dilemma. _Who was she going to take to this thing?_ It had to be someone she could tolerate for a few hours. And hopefully someone that would at least help her get through the night.

 

 _His_ face jumped into her mind; the one she had broken her own rule for. _Maybe she could invite him._

 

 _No. Definitely not. Not_ him _._ Why would she even consider that now that their working relationship had ended? She should be excited to be free of that chauvinistic pig. Instead she missed him and was honest to God considering asking Agent Paul Warren to join her at her brother’s engagement party.

 

She stomped her foot in frustration. One nice evening followed by good sex, _and oh was it damn good sex_ , did not give him the right to burrow into her mind. She reminded herself again that she didn’t date agents as she poured a glass of wine for herself and headed for her bathtub.

 

-0-

 

“This is a huge mistake,” Rachel told her reflection as she checked her make-up in the foyer mirror. The doorbell rang again, the person on the other side impatient to be let in. Rachel knew on the other side of that door stood Paul Warren, her ‘ _date_ ’.

 

 

She had tried her hardest over the weeks leading up to tonight to find someone, anyone other than him to join her. There was no one. All of her fellow agents that she could stand were married and she didn’t have friends outside the Bureau. She probably could have called her sister to see if she or her husband knew of anyone, but she didn’t want Rebecca to know how desperate she was for a date for the evening.

 

Reluctantly, she opened the door, however, no one was there. As she looked around something sparkling at her feet caught her eye. On her front steps was a pair of shoes, Louboutin’s to be exact. She picked the shoes up, trying not to squeal in delight when she realized these were from the latest collection. Shoes were her weakness. She was so caught up in looking at the shoes she didn’t see him approach her.

 

“I take it you approve?”

 

Her head jerked up from the shoes at the sound of his voice. He looked just like she remembered him. Of course, the last time she’d seen him he’d been wearing only his pants as she’d slipped into a cab. She had managed to avoid him at work over the past month, wrapping up her end of the case they had worked on via email. Even when she finally gave in and asked him to join her tonight, she had done so over the phone.

 

“This doesn’t mean I’m sleeping with you, Warren.” Even as she laid down the ground rules, she wasn’t sure she would be able to stick with them. Just seeing him made her entire body come to life. Their night together flashed through her mind and she had to bite her lip to keep from moaning aloud at the memories. He looked incredible in his suit.

 

Paul didn’t say anything as he approached her. He stopped directly in front of her; so close it wouldn’t take much for their lips to touch. Just as her brain was processing how close he was, he was gone. Her head dropped to follow his movement; he was kneeling on the porch. She nearly fell over when he lifted one of her feet. Just as she reached for the door jamb to steady herself, his free hand reached up for the shoes she was holding onto.

 

“Of course not, Black. These are to celebrate your promotion. Or should I say, Special Agent-in-Charge Black.”

 

He gently changed her shoes, handing her the pair she had previously been wearing when he finally stood up again. She was too surprised to take the shoes or even move. “How did you know about that?”

 

She barely realized he was pushing her back into the foyer to make room for himself. It wasn’t until the door closed behind him that she finally woke up from the weird daze she had been in. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

 

He didn’t respond. Instead, he placed the shoes he had removed from her feet on the floor next to the door. Standing up again, he gave her a grin that she recognized. _He was proud of himself._

 

“I may have asked McCarty and Hale to update me on what was going on with you. Once or twice. A week.”

 

Rachel felt her blood start to boil, “You were stalking me?”

 

His grin got even bigger. She knew he was pushing her buttons, could feel him playing her, but she couldn’t stop her irritation with him. This man knew how to rile her up faster than anyone she’d ever met.

 

“Not stalking, just asking questions, doing some research. You know, being an old-school, chauvinistic pig agent.” He shrugged then had the audacity to wink at Rachel, “I had to do something, you were being very stubborn.”

 

“There is nothing wrong with being stubborn,” she huffed out. Stepping closer to him, she gave him a proud grin, “Being stubborn got me my promotion.”

 

“True,” Paul’s arms pulled her tight against him before she could protest, “but it also meant denying yourself this.”

 

And then he was kissing her. His lips felt like heaven against hers; strong and sure. She knew she shouldn’t let herself get pulled in, but that was easier said that done. Even as her brain was shouting to push away from him, she sank into his welcoming body. His fingers tugging at her hair made her moan, opening her mouth to him. His tongue slid against hers as she felt his erection against her hip.

 

Just as she leaned back to gasp for air, his mouth found her ear. “You’ve missed me.”

 

He was right, but there was no way Rachel was going to let him know that. Finally gaining control over her body, she leaned back out of his arms, examining him from head to toe. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms over her chest, “I might have missed your cock, but I definitely haven’t missed you’re cocky attitude.”

 

Paul’s laugh sounded like a bark in the small foyer. Deciding to ignore him, she quickly glanced in the mirror to straighten herself up. Taking a deep, calming breath, she grabbed her bag from the table. Turning back to Paul she gave him her best smile. “Let’s go. We’ve got a long night ahead.”

 

-0-

 

“I can’t believe you are taking me to this event in your agency car.” Rachel wrinkled her nose, glancing over at Paul in the driver’s seat.

 

“Wow, one promotion and look who’s turning into a vehicle snob.”

 

She didn’t bother replying to him. She really didn’t care about the car, she just wanted to annoy him. She hated that he had gotten the upper hand back at her place. She needed to retake control of this evening.

 

“So, what’s our cover?”

 

She didn’t even bother lifting her eyes from the mirror in her hand, fixing the lipstick he’d messed up. “There is no cover. You are my date for the evening. End of story.”

 

“Really? You think it will be that simple?”

 

She closed the compact in her hand with a snap, returning it and her lipstick to her bag before turning to him. His upper lip was lined in her coral colored lipstick, but she didn’t feel like telling him just yet. Crossing her arms over her chest she glared at him, “Yes. I do think it will be that simple. Why shouldn’t I?”

 

Paul’s laughter filled the interior of the car. He only laughed that loud when he thought he had information she didn’t.

 

“This isn’t funny. You are simply my date for the evening.”

 

Paul shaking his head infuriated her. _What did he know that she didn’t?_ The more he laughed, the more she considered giving him a quick kick to the groin with her brand new heels. She could feel herself getting more and more irritated by him. Unable to hold back any longer, and wanting to keep her new shoes intact, she punched him as hard as she could on his arm. “Stop laughing and explain.”

 

“Most of the Bureau is going to be at this thing tonight.” Paul said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 

Rachel’s anger was surpassed by her confusion at his statement. She had to pause for a moment, realizing she’d never considered who would be attending the party. “What do you mean?”

 

“You do know who your brother is engaged to, right?” The grin was back on his face. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to slap or kiss that grin off, but she definitely wanted his “gotcha” grin gone.

 

Instead, she answered his question, though she wasn’t sure how he would know her brother’s fiancee. “Of course I know; her name is Ness Cullen.”

 

“And do you know who Ness Cullen’s father is?” he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

 

Rachel rolled her eyes, “No. Should I?”

 

“I’m sure it’s not a big deal, your brother is just engaged to the daughter of FBI Director Edward Cullen.”

 

Rachel’s heart stopped. She’d met Ness a couple of times, even gone on a family skiing trip over the holidays with her, but never considered her last name. She never mentioned anything about being related to the FBI Director. “Fucking Jacob,” she muttered under her breath. _Trust in her brother to fail to mention that little fact to her._

 

“Which means, Deputy Assistant Directors and anyone above them have been invited to this shindig. My boss is going to be there along with your new new boss, DAD Hale.” Paul grinned at her, “By the way, thanks for inviting me. I was getting a little jealous that McCarty was getting to go to this thing. It’s his and Hale’s first big FBI event together since she moved out of Criminal Investigation Division to head up the Office of Law Enforcement Coordination.”

 

Paul stopped the car and she looked out the window to see they had arrived. Making a snap decision she glared over her shoulder at him before the valets could open their doors, “We’ve been dating since our case ended. _Just_ dating.”

 

“So I shouldn’t mention to your father how you fucked my brains out and left me?”

 

Rachel reached for her shoe just as Paul started laughing again, “Kidding! Geez, so sensitive, Black.”

 

She was still fuming but knew they didn’t have time for his jokes. Putting her shoe back in place, she narrowed her eyes at him again, “How about you just don’t talk to my father?” Her door opened for her and she quickly slid out of the car.

 

She didn’t wait for Paul. “If we’re dating,” he whispered against her ear as he caught up with her, “you might want to act like you like me.” He pulled her close and she wanted to tell him to let go of her. But she knew he was right and if dating was their cover, he was acting the part.

 

“You look beautiful tonight, by the way.” Paul grinned at her as he led her into the party.

 

“You have lipstick all over your mouth, by the way.”

 

Paul chuckled, leaning his head down to her ear as they walked in the door, “My girlfriend can’t keep her hands off of me. I wear this lipstick with pride.”

 

“You are such a dick.” Rachel snarled at him under her breath.

 

He shrugged, “Pretty sure you said you missed that part of me.” He wiped at his chin then looked at her, “Better?”

 

“You’re still a dick, but yes, the lipstick is gone.”

 

As they approached the line to check in she was once again struck that he knew so much more about this party than she did. However, it wasn’t surprising. She had been dreading this thing since she first received the invitation. She was so focused on her own problems with her family, she’d never considered any other aspects of the party. She hated that he had trapped her into this charade, but hated even more that she had missed something as obvious as her brother’s fiancee’s last name. Good agents always paid attention, most importantly when it came to family.

 

“How did you know? About Ness being Director Cullen’s daughter?” Rachel had just asked him yesterday to join her at the party. While her brother was well known in the Bureau, his fiancee’s name had never been mentioned.

 

Paul gave their names to the lady at the check-in table before escorting her into the large ballroom. “I told you, I asked about you. DAD Hale wasn’t willing to directly give me information, but she conveniently shared some things with McCarty. He’s a blabber mouth when you get him drunk.”

 

Rachel was too stunned to say anything. _Why would he be asking about her?_ She could still clearly see the crestfallen look on his face when she left his bed after their “date” last month. She had wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in his arms, but her fears of turning into her mother or sister had forced her out of his bed. Casual was the only option for her if she wanted to keep growing her career.

 

She assumed Paul was on board with casual, but now she wasn’t so sure.

 

“Rachel!”

 

Rachel moved to step away from Paul when she heard her sister calling her name, but he wasn’t having that. He stepped closer to her, his hand sliding around her hip as he tugged her against him, “Not so fast, Black. Remember, I’m your boyfriend tonight.”

 

She wanted to snarl at him, but knew she couldn’t with her sister approaching. As soon as Rebecca pulled her into her arms, Rachel pushed her heel back squarely on the tip of Paul’s loafer. When Rebecca released her and she leaned back against Paul she could just barely hear him whisper, “You’ll pay for that one later, Black.”

 

A shiver moved down her spine, but she had no chance to savor what his voice did to her body. “Rach, have you been holding out on us? Who is this handsome man you are with?”

 

“Not holding out, promise Becs.” Rachel took a deep breath before starting the dreaded introductions. “Rebecca, this is Paul. Paul, my sister Rebecca and her her husband, Grant.”

 

“There’s no reason to be so private, Rach, we are free to be open about our relationship now that you’ve been promoted.” Paul and Grant shook hands, but Paul released Rachel to hug Rebecca. “So good to finally meet you, Rebecca. Rachel has told me so much about you.”

 

Rachel wanted a hole to open up and just suck her in. Telling her sister was like making an announcement over the PA system. Paul had taken their charade from a date to a full blown relationship. A relationship in which, apparently, she talked quite often about her twin sister. The problem was, she had never mentioned word one to Paul about Rebecca. She had no clue how she was going to cover this up, but at this point, she wanted to make him sweat out the lie he had built for himself.

 

“A relationship? Is this so, Rach?” Rebecca turned to Rachel, her eyes bright with excitement at the news.

 

Rather than answering, Rachel shrugged and gave her sister a tight smile. Unfortunately, Paul couldn’t leave it at that. His fingers dug into her hip, pulling her against him as he spoke, “We didn’t want to say anything right away, since we both work at the Bureau. It took a lot of convincing though to get your sister to date me. She’s can be pretty stubborn.”

 

Rachel glared up at Paul just in time to see him wink at Rebecca. She wanted to elbow him, but of course, he had her pinned against his side.

 

“My Rachel, stubborn? Never!” The booming voice announced her father approaching their little group. Rachel wanted to run, hide, do anything other than lie to her father. Unfortunately, unless she wanted her sister to learn she was a big fat relationship failure, she had to keep up this charade.

 

“I’m not stubborn, Daddy. I am just highly opinionated and sure of what I want in life.” Rachel said with a sly smile. It took every ounce of patience she possessed in her body not to nail Paul between the eyes when she felt his body shake with laughter.

 

Billy didn’t respond to her statement, instead turning to Paul. Rachel felt a small thrill when she saw her father’s steely gaze lock in on Paul. _He’s so not ready for this._ “And you are?”

 

“Dad-” Rachel began but was cut off by her sister, who sounded entirely too giddy to be sharing this bit of news.

 

“This is Rachel’s boyfriend, Daddy! His name is Paul and he’s an agent with the FBI. Apparently they’ve been secretly dating. Now that Rachel’s been promoted, they are able to be seen together in public.” Rachel felt the heat rising up her neck. Not from embarrassment, but from annoyance. They’d only arrived a few moments ago and already three of her family members were under the impression that she was dating Paul. The last person she wanted thinking she was involved with someone in the Bureau was her father. His enthusiasm had always been less than lackluster about her choice of career. As a retired cop it stung that his children went to work for the “Feds” instead of the D.C. Police. She wasn’t quite sure what his reaction was going to be to her “dating” an agent.

 

Billy frowned and like the seasoned cop he was, took in every little detail, looking between Rachel and Paul. Rachel followed his eyes down to Paul’s arm around her waist, up to her torso leaning away from Paul and back to Paul’s face. Rachel felt certain that her father would see through their lies, see how uncomfortable she was, but he didn’t seem to pick up on it.

 

“You’re an Agent, huh? Did you go straight into military or did you attend college first? What are your goals and intentions with my daughter?”

 

Rachel gasped when she heard his rapid fire questions, “Dad! Honestly, we can discuss this later, in private.” Rachel’s goal was to get the focus off of herself and Paul for the evening then later tell her family that they broke up. “Why don’t we go find Jacob? This is his night.”

 

“No, it’s ok, baby.” Paul’s whispered words stunned Rachel into silence. “I don’t mind your dad asking me questions. He’s your father, of course he would want to know about the man that is sweeping his daughter off her feet.”

 

Rachel turned and looked at Paul. He was wearing that smug grin on his face again. He knew Rachel couldn’t say anything now that her family was being misled. What he didn’t know was that she refused to go down without a fight.

 

“Now Paul,” Rachel all but simpered against his ear, “don’t be smug sweetheart.” She could hear the growl building in his chest, but she pushed on, her voice getting louder so her family could clearly hear her, ”As I recall, I’m the one that swept you off your feet the night we went to dinner. You asked me on a second date before dinner had even been served and when I said yes, you had tears in your eyes. You’d have thought he had just proposed.”

 

If looks could kill, Rachel was pretty sure she’d be on a hospital gurney right now, but it would be worth it. She held back the bubble of laughter that filled her throat. His eyes narrowed on her but there wasn’t much he could do but agree with her words. “You know, Dad, he told me he’d been wanting to ask me out for a year but he was too shy. Imagine that, someone afraid to ask out little ol’ me. He was so cute about it though.”

 

“Rach. That’s not how it happened.” Paul finally spoke up, apparently realizing she would continue to go on until he stopped her. Hearing his protest made Rachel smirk at him. Paul’s fingers squeezed her side in annoyance. “How about we go find your brother and his fiancee. I’d like to meet them. See if he has any tips on proposing.”

 

Rachel’s nostrils flared in anger as she heard her sister giggling at her exchange with her “boyfriend”. She could even see a little smile on her father’s face. Not wanting to stick around her family any longer, she gripped Paul’s hand rather roughly, tugging him behind her as she made her way to the couple of the night. He was going to pay and she knew just how to get him back.

 

“Baby brother!” Rachel called to Jacob and he turned around in surprise. This irritated Rachel. She had told him she was attending, why should he be surprised she was there? Paul’s muffled rumbling reminded her that it might not be her presence here, but the man she was tugging along behind her that caused the surprised look on her brother’s normally stoic features.

 

“Rachel. I’m so glad you could make it.” Jacob hugged her as soon as she stopped in front of him. When Rachel didn’t introduce Paul right away, Jacob took the lead, “Hi, I’m Jacob Black. And you are?”

 

“This is your biggest fan, little brother,” Rachel blurted out before Paul could say anything. “He talks about you non-stop. Even has a poster of you hanging in his bedroom.”

 

Jacob rubbed his hand across the back of his neck, his awkwardness obvious. Rachel almost felt bad for putting he brother in the middle of her and Paul’s ongoing tension. Almost, but not quite.

 

Paul cast her a look of annoyance, but she just grinned at him. He rolled his eyes at her before thrusting his hand out to Jacob. “It’s a good thing I like her. Agent Black, I’m Agent Paul Warren. Rachel’s boyfriend.”

 

The look of confusion on Jacob’s face said a lot. She’d never had someone introduce himself as her boyfriend before, which her brother was well aware of. She held out hope that her brother would see the truth, unlike her father.

 

“ _Boyfriend_?” Jacob shouted. The entire room went quiet.

 

Rachel felt her cheeks starting to burn in embarrassment when Paul wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. While the move fit with their cover, she was still taken off guard by it. Her first instinct was to relax into him, but the second her body considered it, her shoulders stiffened and she moved out of his arms.

 

Jacob, however, didn’t see this move. Finally catching up, his face broke out into a huge grin. “‘Bout damn time, Rach!” Jacob clasped Paul’s hand in his and shook it roughly. “Nice to meet you man. Glad you could join us.”

 

Rachel wanted to scream, but instead her shoulders sagged in resignation at the situation. She had underestimated her family; they were so happy to see her dating someone, they didn’t care who it was. Even her brother, the rising star in the FBI, didn’t pay attention to how uncomfortable she was. She couldn’t believe how friendly he instantly was with Paul.

 

“Thanks,” Paul released Jacob’s hand then reached for Rachel, pulling her back to his side. When he glanced down at her, she was struck by an unfamiliar look in his eyes. He was happy, but there was something more. Almost like he was excited about something.

 

He gave her a quick grin then broke their eye contact. Paul turned back to talk to Jacob, but she was too stunned to pay attention to the conversation. _Why was he so excited?_ It was almost like he was enjoying telling everyone they were dating. _But why?_

 

A hand on her back made her nearly jump out of her skin. She turned around to see her mother and Ness standing behind her. Ness gave her a quick hug and smile before aiming straight for Jacob’s waiting arms. Jacob introduced Paul to Ness but before Rachel could say anything, her mother pulled her away from the little group.

 

Sarah stopped only when they were nearly across the room from where Paul, Jacob, and Ness were still talking. Her mother’s face broke out into a grin as she looked over Rachel’s shoulder. “He’s dashing.”

 

Rachel glanced over her shoulder and nearly gasped when her eyes locked with Paul’s. He was watching her. His eyes narrowed in concern and she automatically shook her head to let him know she was fine. _It’s just a charade_ , she reminded herself. _He’s not really concerned._ The thought sounded good, but the nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach told her differently.

 

“And he seems very protective of you.”

 

Turning back to face her mother, Rachel decided not to comment on her statements about Paul. “This is a beautiful party, Mom.”

 

Sarah raised an eyebrow at her daughter, “Fine, we won’t talk about him right now. But you should know your father wants to have dinner so we can get to know him properly.”

 

Rachel was shaking her head before Sarah even finished, “Mom, no. We aren’t that serious, we-.” She stopped herself. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell her mother the truth. As much as she wanted to, though, the agent in her knew it was best to keep up the cover at all times. “We’ve only been seeing each other for a short time,” she finished.

 

“That might be, but I have a good feeling about him.” Sarah brushed her thumb softly across Rachel’s cheek, “I’m just glad to see you with someone that so obviously cares for you.”

 

“Mom-,” she started, but was cut off by that familiar deep voice.

 

“Mrs. Black, I presume? Paul Warren, Rachel’s boyfriend.”

 

Rachel didn’t bother turning around. She had felt him approaching; his body seeming to send off waves of energy into hers, alerting her to his presence. She shivered when he grasped a lock of her hair, tugging slightly as his fingers slid all the way down to the end. Once he released her hair, his hand rested just above her ass.

 

“Please, call me Sarah.” Rachel watched as her mother reached out to shake Paul’s hand.

 

Instead of shaking, he pulled her hand to his lips briefly. As Rachel watched this unfold, she felt an odd sensation run through her body; her jaw clenched, her nostrils flared, and she had to hold herself back from slapping her own mother’s hand away from Paul. Her hand at Paul’s side slid around his waist. She couldn’t explain it, but she felt the need to hold on to him as tight as possible.

 

“Wonderful to meet you.” Paul released her mother’s hand and Rachel felt a wave of relief quickly followed by frustration at herself. _Why was she getting upset over Paul kissing her mother’s hand?_ “I hate to ask this, but do you mind if I steal my girlfriend back? I’d like to introduce her to my partner.”

 

“Don’t worry, dear. We’ll have plenty of time to catch up. I rearranged the table placements so that we are all together for dinner.”

 

“Perfect,” Rachel grimaced at Paul’s excited tone. This was _not_ perfect. She’d have to give him a quick debrief so he wouldn’t blow their cover, tell him the basics of her family members. Then there was the problem of having to tell her family after the fact about their “break up”.

 

Paul wrapped Rachel’s hand in his and tugged her away. The last glance she had of her mother her grin was wide and she was winking at Rachel. _Yeah, definitely not perfect._

 

“You know, your eyes are starting to match your shoes, Rach.” Rachel was irritated by his shortening of her name, but let that pass for her confusion over his random statement. Her eyes were brown, and the shoes he gave her tonight were green. She looked at Paul, waiting for an explanation. His face broke out into a grin, “They’re green, with envy.”

 

His words set her off, her already thin patience now completely gone. She tried to pull her her hand out of his, desperate to get as far away from him as possible. She could feel her anger at him boiling under her skin. _What was it about this man that got to her nearly every second she was around him?_ “Envy? What are you talking about?” Rachel all but shouted.

 

Paul refused to release her hand. Instead, he pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist, his hand resting just above her ass. “You were jealous that I kissed your mother’s hand, Rachel. She is beautiful but it’s silly, really. I’m much more attracted to her daughter.”

 

“Whatever. Soon as this party is over, we’re done.” Rachel pushed out of his arms and walked ahead of Paul. He was stubborn though, refusing to let go of her, his hand swiftly moving to her back, guiding her. She turned on him before they could take another step, “And just F.Y.I. I was not jealous.”

 

“You were so jealous. And you’re pissed I noticed. Face it, Rachel, you like me. Just admit it and come say hello to my partner.”

 

Rachel huffed and spun away from Paul, but before she could take a step the heel of her shoe caught on the floor and made her foot teeter. Strong hands captured her waist, keeping her steady on her feet. Paul’s fingers gripped her, the heat from his skin seeping through the silky fabric of her dress. She felt goosebumps shoot up across her skin, originating where his hands touched her.

 

“Rachel Black,” Paul’s gruff voice against her ear broke through her focus on his hands. She felt a wave of heat move through her body but didn’t have time to focus on it as he led her the last few steps to their destination, “I’d like you to meet my partner, Emmett McCarty.”

 

She automatically offered her hand to shake with the bulk of a man in front of her. He was tall, blonde, and blue eyed; a real knock out, but the dimples, those were the killers. As attractive as he was, she had to admit to herself that he didn’t hold a candle to her date. Not that she would ever admit that to _his_ cocky ass.

 

Emmett was standing next to Rachel’s new boss, Deputy Assistant Director Rosalie Hale. Rosalie also happened to be Paul and Emmett’s former boss and the one that pushed for Rachel and Paul to work together in the first place. Even though Paul had told her they would be here together, seeing this stunning couple together was still a bit unexpected; if for no other reason than Rachel had really never seen a relationship within the Bureau work out.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Agent McCarty. Good to see you, DAD Hale.”

 

Rosalie raised an eyebrow at Rachel. Before she even said a word, Rachel knew that Rosalie had found out about the “dating”. “You’ve been quite the topic of conversation tonight, Agent Black.”

 

“I don’t doubt that I have been. Some of these agents gossip like old women.” Rachel voice sounded bitter and she could see Emmett give Paul a surprised look.

 

Rachel was taken aback when she saw Rosalie throw her head back, her long shining blond hair falling down over her shoulders as she laughed. “Too true.”

 

Rosalie glanced at Paul, nodding her head, “I’d say your date needs a glass of wine, Agent Warren.” No one ever thought of arguing with the DAD. Paul glanced at Emmett and they both sauntered off to the bar, leaving the two women alone.

 

“I hadn’t realized the two of you were so close,” never one to mince words, Rosalie jumped right into conversation as soon as the guys were out of ear shot.

 

Rachel shifted from one foot to the other as she considered her answer. She could either tell the woman in front of her the truth or continue the charade.

 

Before Rachel could speak, Rosalie continued, “Don’t worry, I won’t say a word. This is between you and I. Off the clock, I promise. I’m just surprised to see you give him the time of day is all.”

 

The last thing Rachel had expected was for Rosalie to start up a personal conversation. It was a first for the two of them and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it. Rachel studied the woman in front of her her for a few minutes. Something about the clear look in her eyes told Rachel she could trust her with the truth. She was ready to tell her boss this was just a date, but when her mouth opened to speak, something else came out.

 

“It just happened while I was working as Paul’s temporary partner. He was arrogant and a jerk, still is, but he wore me down with his charm.” It was like word vomit. Rachel felt like clamping her hand over her mouth to shut herself up. _Why was she telling her this? Why keep up the lie?_ A little voice snickered in her head then spoke ‘Because you like him’. Rachel chose to ignore that for now. No sense in arguing with her inner dialogue.

 

“Ah yes, these guys can be-- frustrating.”

 

“To say the least,” Rachel murmured just as Paul and Emmett approached. Rachel practically downed half her wine in one sip. Paul lifted an eyebrow at her, but didn’t say anything. She could hear the conversation around her, but didn’t participate. She was lost in her own mind, her head arguing with what her body and heart were telling her. There was no way in hell she had feelings for Paul. It just couldn’t be.

 

-0-

 

Dinner was a complete blur. She did her best to deflect the attention away from her and Paul, but her family refused. Of course, Paul didn’t help her. Instead, he answered every single one of their questions. What shocked her most was how much he knew about each of her family members. She hadn’t had time to bring him up to speed, but apparently, he hadn’t needed it. The possibility that he had gone out of his way to learn about her family before tonight freaked her out.

 

As dinner wrapped up, Paul stood from the table and offered her his hand. Glancing up at him, she could feel the frown of confusion on her face. He just grinned, “Dance with me.”

 

Her sister and mother sighed behind her and she could feel her irritation at him rise again. He was manipulating her by making it impossible for her to say “no” without blowing their cover.

 

Reluctantly, she placed her hand in his and let him lead her out to the dance floor. It was a slow song and as he put his arms around her, pulling her close, she relaxed into him without a thought. Paul’s hand moved up and down her back, his fingers paying attention to her spine, tracing it lightly.

 

She meant to stop him after one song, but she found herself unable to let this moment go. Time seemed to stand still as their bodies swayed as one.

 

-0-

 

His face dropped to her neck, nosing her hair out of the way. When he pressed his lips to her skin her body tensed. _What was he doing? What was he up to?_ It was one thing to be dancing, but they were at an event with her family and both their co-workers, for fucks sake. Clearly, Paul was trying to make things more difficult for her. How would she explain away their “relationship” with everyone seeing him touching her like this?

 

“Relax, Rachel. Everyone has left already.” The words were muttered against her neck, Paul’s chest vibrating against Rachel’s. With her breasts pressed to him it sent a wave of desire through her body. She frowned at that. Now that her mind was clearing from the haze of dancing, she was reminded that she didn’t want to react physically. Damn him. _Why was he doing this to her?_

 

Then she was struck by his words. Looking around the room, she realized the truth. They were the last ones there. Somehow the party had ended without her noticing. _Just because she was dancing with him?_

 

She could feel her frustration building again when she heard the rumble of his laughter, “I take it you enjoyed your evening?”

 

Her answer came out in a huff of annoyance. “I would have enjoyed it more if you hadn’t distracted me all night. Where is everyone?”

 

He sounded surprised when he spoke again, “Your family just left a little while ago. They said goodbye to you. You waved. Don’t you remember?”

 

She couldn’t say anything. To respond would be to admit that she really hadn’t noticed anything while he held her tight.

 

“I knew I was a good dancer, but damn.” She could feel his laughter rumble against her chest. He knew the truth without her voicing it.

 

Refusing to admit anything to him, she shook her head, “Just take me home.”

 

“Sure, we can go back to your place.”

 

“That’s not what I had in mind,” Rachel’s anger was boiling, but this time she was more annoyed at herself.

 

“Pity.”

 

“You are so infuriating!” Rachel lifted her head to look at him, her eyes squinted. He grinned down at her, probably enjoying that he was getting some kind of reaction. One thing she prided herself on was keeping her feelings under lock and key. She never let her facial expressions betray her thoughts. Not until that moment at least.

 

A smirk drifted across Paul’s face and before she could stop to realize what he was doing, his lips were on hers. It wasn’t a simple kiss. It wasn’t gentle either. This was the kiss they had been building toward all night. This kiss set her on fire, which only made her all the more confused at being in the situation she had gotten herself in. She didn’t want to like him, didn’t want to be turned on by the fact that he gave as good as he got. She didn’t want to, but she was.

 

Hands gripped and bunched her dress at her lower back and a moan rattled Paul’s chest. Except it wasn’t just Paul that was reacting, it was Rachel too. Her mouth dropped open in a gasp and when he flicked his tongue out to taste her top lip, Rachel let hers dart between his lips.

 

Flashes of their time in bed flitted through her mind and when Rachel reached to grip Paul’s neck she kissed him harder. He reacted immediately, pulling her tighter, rubbing his body against her. She was suddenly very thankful the room was empty, or else they would have been practically humping in front of everyone she knew. _What a disaster_ that _would have been_. Except, in that moment, she wasn’t so sure it would have been, because his lips were delicious.

 

Their mouths separated and Rachel fought to catch her breath. Before she could say anything or react by pulling away from him, Paul tucked her head beneath his chin and started moving them again. He swayed side to side; his hands at a respectable spot on her hips, where they held her close to him. If she didn’t know better, she would have guessed he was giving her a moment to pull herself together.

 

Knowing the room was clear, Rachel gave in and allowed her hands to move to his chest, up and over his shoulders to his upper arms. She could feel the muscles there rolling under his skin; the warmth seeping through to her fingers. Suddenly, Rachel was assaulted with visions of Paul’s body braced above hers as he fucked her.

 

“Shit,” she muttered into his chest as she felt a wave of desire flash through her entire being. He pushed his hips into her and she moved hers against his without even considering what she was doing. Rachel’s mouth moved a fraction and she nipped at the exposed skin above his shirt collar. When she felt his cock twitch between their bodies she finally lifted her head again.

 

Paul’s voice was husky and thick when he spoke. “I need to fuck you so hard.”

 

Without uttering a word Rachel nodded her head. She could no longer deny her need for him, even as she fought against the little voice telling her it wasn’t just his body she needed.

 

Paul started moving immediately. When they made it outside to wait on the valet to bring the car around, Paul had to physically push Rachel’s hands away.

 

“I can’t drive if you are trying to put your hand down my pants, Rach. The faster I get us there, the faster we can get naked.” He explained evenly as they buckled their seat belts and he tore out of the parking lot.

 

He made it back to her place in record time.

 

-0-

 

Rachel’s hands wouldn’t cooperate. She dropped her apartment keys three times before Paul finally swiped them from her and unlocked the door himself. Looping his arm around her waist he tugged her into the entry way and pushed the door closed behind them. Before Rachel could react he had her back pressed against the door and his mouth latched onto her neck. Her hands clutched at his back, jerking at his jacket before slipping beneath it. She started pulling on his shirt, trying to jerk it from the waist band of his dress pants.

 

“You look good in a suit. Has anyone ever told you that?”

 

Head jerking up in surprise, Paul looked down at her for a few silent seconds. “Um,” he grinned, “Yes, but hearing those words from your mouth is worth more than all the other times.”

 

“Cocky asshole.”

 

“Damn right,” he grinned and began to walk them backwards. “Which way?”

 

Rachel directed him to the bedroom and tried to start shedding clothes as she walked. Paul stopped her movements with his hands, “Let me.”

 

He walked around behind her, his hands skimming the skin at the back of her neck. Then he grasped the tab of the zipper and started to slowly pull it down.

 

As the fabric of Rachel’s dress separated and exposed her back Paul ran his fingers down her spine. She shivered against him even though she tried to contain her reaction. Even as his fingers moved over her skin, he was also working his way _under_ her skin. She wanted to be annoyed that she couldn’t stop her body’s need for him, but all she could think about was how much she wanted him right now.

 

Paul’s hands circled her waist, beneath the dress, grazing her skin with his rough, gentle fingers. Goosebumps popped up and her nipples strained for his touch. His hands moved everywhere except the places she wanted them, needed them. Arching her back Rachel pressed her hips back into Paul’s. When she felt his growing erection between them she moaned deep in her chest, grinding into him. Teasing him.

 

He moved his hands out of her dress and spun her around to face him. His face looked intense, his eyes full of lust. But that wasn’t it. There was also something Rachel couldn’t quite put her finger on. Before she was able to think too much about it, Paul’s mouth was on hers. Using her hands, she pushed against his chest forcing him to release her lips.

 

Rachel quickly shed Paul of his suit coat, tossing it aside. Her hands found the placket of his dress shirt before the jacket hit the floor. She made fast work of the buttons down his chest and abdomen, jerking the shirt out of his pants so she could discard it too. Smoothing her hands back up his stomach and chest Rachel paused at his nipples, circling one, then the other with a light fingernail. A grin broke across her face when she heard him growl low.

 

Paul was built beautifully; muscles perfectly sculpted and rippling beneath his taut skin. He certainly was too good looking for Rachel’s peace of mind. She was reminded of her reaction earlier when he kissed her mother’s hand. She didn’t like the idea of him touching any other woman. She pushed those thoughts away, focusing on the fact that for tonight, she was the only one touching him.

 

When her hands moved back down and traced the sexy V at his waist Paul placed his hands on her hips. He lifted her up and her legs wrapped around him automatically. Carrying her over to the bed he kissed her neck, up to her ear where he tugged lightly with teeth. Her hair cascaded over her shoulder as Rachel tilted her head back to give his lips more access.

 

Their hands moved along ever bit of bare skin on both their bodies. Exploring, enjoying, caressing every inch as panting breaths and moans echoed around them. Her breasts ached for his touch. Rather than wait, Rachel reached for his hand and moved it to her breast, squeezing gently.

 

He grinned at her, “You have fantastic tits.”

 

Since neither of them has spoken since entering her apartment, his voice seemed extremely loud. Before she could reply with a snarky, “I know,” Paul was dipping his hand under the cup of her bra palming her breast, her nipple pressing into his skin. With his free hand Paul released the clasp of her bra, dropping it over onto the floor. Arching her back off of the bed Rachel begged Paul to put his mouth on her. He didn’t make her wait too long, moving his mouth down her neck to her chest, nipping at her fevered skin. Her body shook as his tongue flicked out, tasting her skin.

 

Paul’s teeth nipped at her as he made his way closer to her nipple and Rachel moaned. Grinning against her skin Paul took his time, teasing his way around the place she really wanted to feel his mouth. When he pulled her hard nipple into his mouth her back arched to press up against him. His eyes flicked up to watch her which sent another wave of heat through her. Rachel’s eyes shut tight and her lips went slack, panting breaths escaping in puffs.

 

And then he was gone. She opened her eyes, surprised to see him all the way across the room, his hands at his hips as he paced. She felt a chill move over her now that his heat was gone. Sitting up she narrowed her eyes at him. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

 

“I won’t do this again, Rachel.”

 

He stopped right in front of her. She knew her mouth was hanging open, but she didn’t know what to say. He was the one that wanted to come back to her place, now he was getting cold feet?

 

Rachel found her voice, along with her strength. She leaped off the bed and began pushing against his chest with all her might, shouting in the quiet room, “What do you mean you can’t do it again? It’s just _fucking_!”

 

Paul didn’t move. For the first time that evening, he wasn’t laughing at her anger. She pushed at him again but he grabbed her hands in his.

 

“No it isn’t, and you know it.”

 

Her head jerked up to meet his eyes. He looked so serious and it scared the living daylights out of her. She pulled on the only defense she had left, denial. “I don’t know what you are talking about. If you don’t want to fuck me, just get out.”

 

“I’m not leaving, but I’m also not going to just fuck you and pretend it means nothing.”

 

“It doesn’t mean anything,” Rachel shrugged, pulling her hands free of his and returning to the bed. She wanted to grab some clothes, something to cover her bare chest, but she refused to show any weakness. Sitting down, she crossed her legs and stared straight at him.

 

Paul’s head moved back and forth, a sad look on his face, “You are an amazing agent, Rachel, but you’re a terrible liar.”

 

She crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to comment. These was no way she’d admit he was right, even though her heart was screaming the truth.

 

Paul huffed, stepping closer to her. “I’m done pretending with you, Rachel. Here’s the truth. If you hadn’t called me to join you tonight, I was prepared to start showing up in your office and bugging you until you agreed to go out on another date with me. You are an absolutely amazing woman. You challenge me, make me laugh, and turn me on more than any woman I’ve ever known. I had a great time with you tonight, just like I had a great time with you on our last date. I want you, but more importantly, I just want to _be_ with you.” He took a deep breath then looked her straight in the eye. “I liked being your boyfriend tonight, but I wasn’t pretending. I want tonight to be the start of a real relationship between us. I think you wan that too.”

 

Rachel couldn’t even begin to comprehend what he had just said. Her mind was whirling, her heart was racing and she found herself having to fight back tears, something that never happened to her.

 

“I don’t date agents.” Her mantra fell from her lips so easily, but even as she was saying it, the words felt weak, untrue.

 

Then he was cupping her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. “You’re already dating me, at least as far as your family and our co-workers are concerned.”

 

“That was just for show. It’s not real. I’ll just tell everyone that you pissed me off one time too many. They’ll understand.”

 

He didn’t let go of her face so she saw him shaking his head, “They won’t understand. What they saw tonight was a couple who likes to challenge one another. You enjoy our bickering and they could tell. Whether you want to admit it or not, tonight was real.”

 

“Just because I enjoy arguing with you doesn’t mean I want to date you.”

 

Paul chuckled, “Well, that’s one step closer, I at least got you to admit you enjoy arguing with me.”

 

Rachel pushed his hands away from her face, “I enjoy arguing with you because it is so easy to prove you wrong.” Standing again, she moved until she was just inches from Paul. “No one believed we were dating. It wasn’t real.”

 

Before Paul could respond, her blackberry dinged with a text message. She wished she could ignore it, but this was her life. Ignoring the message now just to argue with Paul was at the very center of why she couldn’t date him. She refused to give up her job for a man.

 

Stepping away from him she grabbed her handbag, fishing out her blackberry. She was surprised to find she had multiple text messages waiting for her. _How had she missed these?_ She never missed messages on her phone.

 

_Daddy and I are both so excited for you and Paul! Dinner next Saturday, all the family, he’s more than welcome to join. Love, Mom_

 

_Hey sis! I’ve never seen you look happier. I think this Paul guy is good for you. See you both next Saturday for dinner? Becca_

 

_Lets discuss protocol for agents dating on Monday. - Hale_

 

_Asked around about this guy Warren. He’s a solid agent. Saved his partner’s life. Good choice, sis. - J. Black_

 

Warm hands gripped her shoulders as she felt him lean forward to read over her shoulder. Before he could say anything, her frustration bubbled up. She stomped her foot, swinging around to face him. “This is your fault!” She stabbed her finger into his chest. “This was just supposed to be a date. _One_ night. Now everyone thinks we are dating. I. Don’t. Date. Agents.”

 

“Why?” His one word question stopped her mid-tirade. Her hand was actually frozen in the midst of aiming for his chest again.

 

“Why what?” She asked, her hand dropping weakly to her side as she felt all the fire suddenly seep out of her.

 

This time it was Paul that sat down on the bed. Crossing his arms he locked his gaze with hers, refusing to let go, “Why don’t you date agents?”

 

“Relationships in the bureau don’t last.”

 

“I disagree with that, McCarty and Hale seem to be going strong.”

 

She shrugged, “They are a rare exception.”

 

“Who’s to say we wouldn’t be a rare exception?”

 

Rachel broke away from his stare, glancing down at her feet as she spoke softly, “I love my job. I refuse to give it up for a relationship.”

 

She saw his feet approaching just before she felt him tilt her chin up so he could look into her eyes, “No one is asking you to give up your job. I just want to spend time with you.”

 

Rachel shook her head but couldn’t vocalize her fears any further. Even if she did want to date him, there’s no way he’d be satisfied with her dedication to her job.

 

“Hale told me about your promotion.” Rachel’s head jerked up, surprised by this admission. Paul chuckled, but it wasn’t a happy sound, “Apparently I talk a little too much when I get drunk too. McCarty blabbed to her about how I had feelings for you.”

 

He almost looked nervous, shifting his weight between his feet and scratching at the back of his neck with the hand that had previously held her chin. His voice dropped low and she had to strain to hear his words, “I was so damn proud of you when she told me. I knew you deserved the promotion way before now, but I was so glad I could be even a small part of making it happen for you.”

 

The tears that had managed to hold back fell down her face. The idea that he could be proud of her accomplishments, of her progressing above him in rank, was so foreign that she didn’t know how to react.

 

His soft lips kissed away her tears as he held her face tight. “I would never ask you to give up you job. I know how much it means to you. If it’s important to you, then it’s important to me. Rachel, if it takes me quiting the FBI to have a chance to be with you, I will.”

 

Her heart stopped beating for a fraction of a second and then picked up at double time. It was like her brain finally caught up with what the rest of her had been screaming all along. He was different, different from any other man she’d ever known. This man, Paul, was special and she needed to hold onto him.

 

“You’d really do that for me?” She couldn’t help the shocked tone, but she needed to know.

 

“I’ll call DAD Uley right now and resign if you’d like. McCarty will be pissed, but it’ll be worth it to be able to actually call you my girlfriend.”

 

She knew her jaw was hanging open but she couldn’t figure out how to close it. Her mind was whirling. It wasn’t until she saw his hand bring his phone up to his ear that she finally regained control of her body.

 

She could hear it ringing just as she managed to shout, “No! Don’t quit! Please, you don’t have to. I’ll date you, I’ll be your girlfriend!”

 

She heard a voice on the phone start speaking, “Damnit Warren! I just fell asleep. I’m going to kick your ass at the gym on Monday! Congrats, Black, you made a good choice. Warren’s a good guy, except when he wakes me up.”

 

Paul grinned, “Later McCarty. I have to fuck my girlfriend.”

 

Paul hung up the phone and tossed it and Rachel’s phone onto the floor. Her heart started racing again, but this time it was in anger. “You played me.”

 

“You already agreed to be my girlfriend, you can’t take it back now.” His grin was wide with excitement, but Rachel was still fuming.

 

“I damn well can take it back if I want to. How dare you do that to me!”

 

His hands circled her hips and he pulled her roughly against his chest. Her hands moved to his chest just for balance. She planned to tear into him some more, until his lips found hers. The fire of her anger quickly changed over to desire. His tongue played against hers as his hands once again freely roamed her body.

 

“You don’t want to take it back.” Paul growled against her ear, “Admit it, Black. You like me.”

 

She leaned back so she could look him into the eyes, “I might like you, but I don’t like being tricked.”

 

His whole face broke out into a grin. “At least it was McCarty that heard that and not Uley. He doesn’t have much of a sense of humor.”

 

Rachel reluctantly agreed it probably was best that McCarty had heard her announcement. Before she could say anything more, his mouth was attacking her neck, “You really like me, Rach?”

 

“Meh.” Paul’s head shot up from her neck. He was searching her eyes, panic in his. She couldn’t help laughing, rolling her eyes. “Fine, yes, I like you. You are infuriating, annoying, and still a chauvinistic pig, but you are also smart, funny, and fucking hot.”

 

Paul leaned his head back in laughter, barking out, “Ouch, you only want my body?”

 

“I do want your body.”

 

She felt his hands against her thighs just before he lifted her. Even through her panties and his pants, she could clearly feel his cock, hard and ready. “Fuck do I want your body!”

 

Paul didn’t waste time. He lowered her to the bed once again, quickly removing her last piece of clothing and tossing her lacy panties over his shoulder. She wanted to laugh at his antics, but was too focused on watching him slowly remove his pants.

 

Just like before, there was nothing between his skin and his pants. His cock sprang free of his pants and Rachel’s whole body shivered in anticipation. His eyes moved over her body as he just stood there at the edge of her bed. The heat in his eyes made her bite her lip to keep from moaning. Her hips moved of their own accord, shifting slightly to build up some much needed friction.

 

“Condoms,” he whispered just before he leaned down to grab his pants. He tossed the foil packets on the night stand. She expected him to finally join her on the bed. Instead she felt his fingers push her thighs open just before his tongue took a long sweeping pass over her wet pussy.

 

She screamed out his name as her hips bucked up, searching for something to help relieve this pressure building up in her.

 

Then his mouth was against hers, kissing her with more passion than she had ever felt from him. She felt his hips rest in the cradle of hers as he resumed exploring her body. They teased one another for a short time, but she couldn’t hold out very long. She quickly found herself begging.

 

“What do you want?” Paul practically purred against her ear.

 

She knew what he wanted her to say, and while it was still an adjustment for her, she found the words weren’t as difficult for her to speak as she would have expected. “I want you to fuck me, Paul. I want my _boyfriend_ to fuck me.”

 

She heard the condom wrapper rip and felt him pull back briefly. Then he was there; his whole body covering her as she felt him teasing her entrance with his cock. Just when she thought she’d have to beg some more, he was filling her. She adjusted her position to make room for him, and the movement brought him even deeper. They both moaned in the same moment.

 

She expected him to start moving, but he didn’t. His mouth kissed down her cheek to just under her ear. “I’m not assuming again, Rachel. You understand this isn’t just a fuck, right? You’re my girlfriend and we’re dating.”

 

Rachel bit her lip at the sound of his voice. There were emotions in his words that she was no where near ready to deal with. But she knew he was right. No matter how many times she tried to tell herself differently, she had never just fucked Paul.

 

She nodded her head, unable to do anything more than that. However, it wasn’t enough for him. His face appeared before hers, “Say it, Rachel. I need to know you understand.”

 

She closed her eyes. Her entire body was humming in anticipation, but she knew this was important to him. For some reason, this was a deal breaker for him. It scared her, but it scared her more to consider not having him in her life.

 

“You are my boyfriend, Paul, and I know this isn’t just a fuck. Now would you please fuck me?”

 

She heard a rumble of laughter from him but it was quickly cut short. Her hips lifted to meet his. He set a slow tempo at first, teasing her and building up that heat again. His mouth moved between her lips and her breasts. Each time his teeth grazed one of her nipples, her nails dug deeper into his back.

 

Before long though, it wasn’t enough, and she was pleading for more from him. He pulled her knees up to her chest and when he pushed into her again she couldn’t help the deep moan of satisfaction. Having him fill her so completely was amazing. She tugged his mouth down to hers, nipping at his lip as he filled her again. The harder he pushed into her, the harder she bit his lip.

 

She felt her body start quaking. She tried to hold on longer, but he had played her body perfectly all night. His cock continued to pump into her but soon she felt the added pressure of his thumb against her clit. It was too much. Rachel finally lost all control over her body, surrendering to the pleasure Paul gave her.

 

-0-

 

Rachel was curled up around Paul after another round of some of the best sex she had ever had. She had a fleeting thought while her fingers traced the outline of his abs.

 

“I should go,” she whispered without meaning to.

 

Paul moved to catch her eye. “Go? Where? We’re at your place, remember?”

 

She blinked up at him. While her first instinct was to run, she knew in this instance, running wasn’t really feasible.

 

She tilted her head at him slightly, “Did you plan it that way? Bring me back here so I couldn’t leave you?”

 

“I wasn’t leaving anything to chance,” he grinned before kissing the top of her head. “It was my own personal mission tonight to do whatever I had to to get you to agree to be my girlfriend.”

 

“What do you mean?” She sat up, leaning over him.

 

“Like any good agent, I did what was needed to close the case.”

 

“And what was needed?” she asked, feeling her suspicion kick in.

 

Paul shrugged, “I can’t tell you that. All I can say is that you willingly surrendered in the end.”

 

“You infuriating man. Tell me what you did! Did you set something up with Hale? McCarty?” She gasped, “My brother?”

 

Paul pulled her back down to his chest, whispering, “Don’t worry about it right now, Rachel. Just go to sleep. You can yell at me all you want tomorrow.”

 

She narrowed her eyes up at him, “I will you know. Yell at you. Until you tell me what you did.”

 

“Then you’ll be yelling for a while and wasting perfectly good fucking time.”

 

She couldn’t help chuckling. She had to admit, he had a valid point. Of course, she still wouldn’t tell him that. Dropping her head back to his chest, she sighed. “Fine. But you will tell me at some point.”

 

“Sure, I’ll tell you when you finally break down and admit you love me.”

 

Rachel was stunned into silence. She didn’t have a comeback for that one. _Love? Did she love him?_ She was just dealing with dating, she was no where near ready for the L-word.

 

“You aren’t there yet. I get it,” Paul sighed. She felt his fingers move through her hair, massaging her scalp lightly. “But I have a feeling you’ll be there soon.”

 

“What makes you say that?” she huffed out.

 

“Because my next mission is to make you fall in love with me.” Paul grinned and Rachel felt her stomach turn into knots. She was suddenly very worried but also very excited. Damn him.

 

Rather than fight him, she decided to let it go for now. Best to hit him with a line of questioning when he wasn’t expecting it. She adjusted herself and curled up to fall asleep in Agent Paul Warren’s arms. Who would have ever guessed her life would come to this? Definitely not her, but for the moment, she wasn’t complaining.

 

-0-

 

 **A/N:** Hope you liked it! Thanks for your amazing contribution to Fandom For Texas. Feel free to check out other pairings on our author page, www.fanfiction.net/~stupidleeches.

 


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